Dragon's Roar
by Conflicting Chaos
Summary: Leader of the Dragon's Roar Gang, people cower in fear every time they hear the name "Natsu Dragneel." Lucky for them, nobody knows who he is or what he looks like outside of the gang. And where does Lucy come into play? It's just not her lucky day... NaLu
1. Chapter 1: Monday Mornings

**High School AU. Entirely Lucy PoV. Lucy's parents are alive in this one. Multi-Chapter. I hope you enjoy this story!**

* * *

_BEEP BEEP BEEEEEP_

Mornings. They are my absolute worst nightmare. Seriously, why can't we wake up when we want to? It's Monday... Again. I absolutely hate Mondays. Why? Because I stay up late on the weekends and I wake up dead tired on Mondays.

I feel super drained today. I made my way downstairs after I managed to get out of my bed. Trust me, it wasn't my choice. If I had a say in it, I'd be right back in there. When I got downstairs I poured myself some cereal. I look out the window. At least it's sunny today. Especially after such a bad night I had. My stupid ass now ex-boyfriend Sting cheated on me! We were going out for four months! I mean I know some people break up after going out for like two years, but four months is a long time! And he didn't even seem distant during our relationship either. I guess all men are pigs. Oh well.

Thankfully the cereal restored a bit of energy in me. I'm not feeling like absolute shit anymore, but I still want to go up to my bed and sleep my issues away. Except my father would have none of that. He's loving and sweet, but if you're lazy around him or don't do what he says, he becomes super annoying. Thankfully my mother keeps him in check. I don't know what'd I do if it weren't for her.

Finally, I finished getting ready for school. I hear downstairs and tell my parents I'm going to school. The drive is only twenty minutes and thankfully I got my driver's permit last summer. I'm a junior at my high school, so I have to park on the street or in the really awful junior lot. The senior lot is so much nicer, but I'm not a senior so I don't get that privilege. Thankfully the street is pretty clear at this time of morning so I park there.

Why do I have to get to school so early? It's not going to start for another thirty minutes. I guess it's because my parents need me to get those stupid driver hours so I can get my license. Driving isn't the reason I get here so early though. It's the fact that there's such limited space.

I wouldn't be able to bear it if weren't for my best friend Levy. Apparently she's stuck in the same boat as me. Getting here so early so that you can park somewhere. It's stupid, they should just expand the parking lot, but I don't have a say in it. We usually meet at our lockers. We're in the same home room this year, so our lockers are pretty close. By the time I got up there, she was already at her locker.

"Hey Levy! How was your weekend?" I greeted her.

"Good. Nothing special. How about you?" Levy asked.

"Awful. I found out Sting was cheating on me last night. He's such a bastard." I said. "I mean what the hell! I bet he was just dating me until I would agree to have sex with him!"

"Ouch, that's a tough weekend. You probably didn't get much sleep last night did you?" Levy asked.

"Not at all! And now I have to suffer the consequences in here! Couldn't he have told me Saturday night? At least I wouldn't have been dead tired today." I said sighing.

"Yeah, well if you want to grab some coffee during our free period then sure thing." Levy suggested.

"I could definitely go for that. When's free today?" I asked.

"2nd period." Levy said.

"You think I could stop by your house later today or tomorrow? My parents wouldn't mind." I asked, hoping to find a way to relax for a bit.

"Sure. Anyways, have you heard the news recently?" Levy asked.

"No, boyfriend issues kind of took all my attention up." I admitted.

"Yeah well, apparently the Dragon's Roar Gang was caught vandalizing an old apartment complex." Levy said. "Nobody was hurt, but the damages were pretty severe. Unfortunately, all of the gang members got away though."

"Wow! Those guys are back at it again? I don't see what they gain by doing that. It's a good thing they stopped picking on kids at school last year. But I doubt the leader Natsu Dragneel would do something like that without having an escape plan." I figured. Hey, they're only the most fearsome gang in the state! I mean not even the police can catch them. The only person identified from the gang is Natsu Dragneel, he's the leader. Even then he was only found out last year. I bet he's some kind of drug addict asshole who seeks pleasure by hurting people. Yeah, sounds like a gang leader to me.

"I'm a little afraid to say that name, Lucy." Levy said. "What if he's watching us? He's a very powerful person and I don't want to be on his hit-list."

"He's probably too busy wallowing in his pride, Levy. You worry too much." I said.

"Yeah but the gang is incredibly strong! I don't want to be on their bad side!" Levy defended herself with.

"They're not invincible." I said.

"They basically are! Did you hear they took down the Oración Seis Gang easily two years ago! Don't you remember how awful they were?" Levy said.

"Yeah but Dragon's Roar isn't much better. I mean for the longest time they picked on children!" I reasoned. "What kind of gang does that?"

"I don't know, but it'd help if we knew who was in the gang." Levy said.

"The only person they've confirmed to be in the gang is Natsu Dragneel. Even then he's the leader, so his name would probably be known amongst most gangs." I said. "But I bet they're all selfish. They probably don't care about anyone but themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if they're all drug addicts." Just thinking about them made me angry. Seriously, the gang has had a horrible effect on the town! They've vandalized so much, and when they used to pick on kids I had to hide in the bathroom so they wouldn't get me!

"Wow, you sound really angered by them." Levy said. "Hey well if you do find this Natsu Dragneel guy, I guess you can give him a piece of your mind."

"Oh I'll do that and so much more." I said angrily. "He's an asshole who deserves what's coming to him."

The warning bell just went off. Thankfully my class is just down the hall so I don't have to worry about being late.

"Oh shoot! That's the bell. Meet up at lunch?" I asked.

"You know it!" Levy said before heading off to whatever she had first. I think she has Chemistry, but I'm not sure. Oh well, not my concern right now. I guess talking to Levy helped me forget about that horrible breakup last night. It probably helped that I directed a lot of my anger on someone else, even if they weren't there to receive it.

I got into class pretty early. I sit in the front and center. Even though I usually like to go to the back so I can talk to friends during class sometimes, I don't know anyone in my math class yet. Sitting in the desk as I watched people come in, I sometimes wonder what it'd be like to be that kid who squeaks in at the last minute. It probably feels awesome to just barely make it. But I wouldn't know, since I have to drive and get here so early!

Waiting for that second bell to ring, I look around the class. I've been in it for about a month now, but I still don't know everyone. Most of the people in here look normal, and probably half of them act normal. There's this one kid though, he's really really weird. I don't mean to be offensive, but his hair is pink! Like holy crap dude! That's not something a guy usually does, dying their hair pink. I'd feel really bad if that was natural. I don't think anyone would ever take him seriously when he was angry.

The pink hair is weird. But that wasn't what was odd. It was his name. _Salamander._ Who the heck names their kid Salamander? And why no last name? Is that his last name? Is Salamander even his real name? It's just so dang confusing! Couldn't the guy have a normal name? What am I supposed to do if I want to ask for help on a problem? It's just weird.

I never really thought about it though. He only goes by Salamander. Usually that would mean it's a nickname. And if it was, what's his real name? If Salamander isn't his name, he's obviously trying to hide his identity. And he's doing a damn good job at it too! All of the teachers call him Salamander and he can even turn in tests with that name. What's even weirder, is that on the class lists his name is registered as Salamander as well! He's probably trying to hide something, but what would be worth hiding that he went through ALL of that trouble to have everyone in the school call him something else? It's both intriguing and a little scary at the same time.

It doesn't look like his classmates have thought that far in advance though. They just seem to be content with his presence. Maybe I should just do that. After all, he's not so bad a guy. He acts weird in class, but he's actually pretty nice and helped me with my homework a few times before. We've talked a couple times on occasion but not entirely.

I heard the long, drawn out beep that echoed throughout the school. There goes the second bell. It's time for class to start and me to stop sticking my nose in other people's business. I just can't wait until lunch when I can vent the rest of this pent-up anger I have.

* * *

Fourth period just ended, and I couldn't be happier. It was probably the most boring lecture I've ever heard on the law of conservation of mass. It's not a hard topic, why does the teacher need to spend forty minutes going over it! Thanks to the coffee I got with Levy during second, I managed to stay awake for the rest of fourth. But that doesn't mean I'm not tired. Actually, I really wish I could go home right about now. Though I bet everyone else does too...

Finally! I get to see my friends. We always sit together at lunch, me, Cana, Levy, Erza, and Juvia. We've been in the same school since Juvia transferred in third grade. I'm just about down the stairs and I can see my friends. I wave and look to see them wave back but I only catch a glimpse before I lose my footing and fall back. Wincing, I brace for impact. Thankfully, I never hit the ground. I look up to see who caught me and I really wanted to laugh.

_Why did it have to be so cliché?_

Seriously, falling and expecting to hit the ground, only to be caught by someone is so cliché! Why doesn't he just ask me on a date and confess his undying love to me? But I guess I should be nice, he just saved me a few curse words and minutes of pain.

"Jeez, Lucy you're so clumsy. Didn't you see that 'Wet Floor' sign that's right next to you?" My savior said.

"Oh sorry about that Salamander. I wasn't watching where I was going. Thanks for catching me." I said, truly thankful.

"Yeah not a problem. It's probably good you didn't fall in..._that_. I don't know what it looks like, but it definitely doesn't look like water." He said. I looked down, and yeah, it didn't. Then I saw a pipe leaking... Oh jeez I could only imagine what that was.

"Wow I really owe you. I didn't want to have to go around smelling like pee all day. And who the heck leaves a leaking sewage pipe but decided to leave just a 'Wet Floor' sign?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.

"Beats me." Salamander said, "Anyways... I was wondering if you wanted to hang out with me today after school. I have the day off and no one to spend it with. So whaddya say?" He asked. He sounds so nervous.

"Of course that sounds great!" I said, cheerful that I found a way to spend my day. As much as I wanted sleep, I didn't want to explain that I broke up with my boyfriend of four months last night to my parents.

"Alright, wanna meet at three outside the school?" He asked.

"Sounds great!" I said. I'm not sure if I sound too cheerful. Is this a date? I doubt it. But I don't think I'd mind if it was.

"Oh and one more thing?" Salamander asked.

"Yeah?"

"I don't mean to umm... be rude, but could you stand up? My arm is starting to get sore from staying in this position for so long." He said. It was then I just realized, I had been lying back supported by his arms throughout that whole conversation. That probably looked so awkward! I quickly stood up.

"Uhh... Sorry 'bout that. Anyways, see you at three?" I said.

"Not a problem, Lucy! See you at three!" Salamander said.

Let's just hope my friends didn't see all that. Oh wait, I waved to them before it all happened. Of course they did. And they weren't ever going to live it down. It was Cana who spoke up first. She went through boyfriends faster than the rest of us, so it made sense she'd speak first.

"Ooooh Lucy, you're already back in the dating world? Jeez you got over Sting fast!" Cana exclaimed.

"No that's no-

"Well she looked absolutely entranced in Salamander's arms." Levy said dreamily.

"I'm telling you it's just-

"Juvia didn't know Lucy was into mysterious people." Juvia commented.

"I'M NOT! It's-

"Not what? What was that about meeting at three?" Erza joined. Oh no. Erza usually didn't take sides during this, but if she did, it was never fun to be the other guy, or girl in this case.

"Would you just please listen!? Just because I slipped on some... _whatever that was..._ doesn't mean that I'm dating him! And he just asked to spend the day together! It's not like it's an actual date." I explained.

"Suuuuuuuuure~!" They all said in sync.

"Isn't that what a date is, Lucy? Spending the day together?" Erza asked.

"Yeah, sounds like a date to me!" Levy said.

"Juvia thinks this is good for Lucy to forget about Sting. Juvia hopes that Salamander is nicer to Lucy." Juvia said.

"You people..." I said, trailing off. I don't even know anymore. I should've seen this coming. "Whatever. Anyways it seems you know about me breaking up with Sting and what just happened up _there_. So-

"Oh we most definitely know what happened up there!" Cana said.

"Would you please let me finish!" I said irritatingly. "Anyways," I took a deep breath, "I was just going to tell you that I was going to be hanging out with a friend. But since you've all gotten so excited over it and you all know I broke up with Sting, I don't have much to talk about anymore. So does anyone have anything particular to talk about?" I asked, hoping to change the subject. Maybe I hoped a little too much.

"Your date today? That'd be a nice thing to talk about!" Levy suggested.

"Juvia agrees." Juvia said.

"As do I." Erza added in.

"Count me in." Cana said.

And just when I thought I could change the subject. Oh well. This is going to be a _long_ lunch.

* * *

Though the girls were absolutely annoying and exaggerated hanging out into a date, I did wonder what he was going to do. I'm pretty much up for anything, but if this is a date, which I hope it is, I don't want him to freak out. I hope he knows I'm rich so I don't really care for the fancy stuff. In fact, I'd just like to get out of the high formalities. They're so unnecessary!

My date is in two hours, I'm currently sitting in on a boring class thinking about what I'm going to do with him after school. I didn't think I'd put that much time into thinking about this. Really, what if he didn't think it was? And he was the one who asked me, so it's really his call!

I hope he's not an annoying womanizer, but from the few times I've spoken to him, he doesn't seem like that kind of guy. He's pretty nice and even a bit childish so I don't think I have to worry about him trying anything on me. And who knows, maybe he'll tell me his real name, if Salamander isn't it. I doubt it though, because it's such a big secret to everyone. I shouldn't worry about that yet.

Hopefully my date goes well! Until then, back to English class.


	2. Chapter 2: Identity Revealed

**Sorry if the update time isn't as often as you'd like. Right now I got my parents breathing down my neck because I procrastinated all my summer homework until the last weekend. So if you're wondering what I'm doing, it's schoolwork. 24/7**

**Thanks Ebony, CelestialWizard, PrincessVideogame, orionXD, and EgyptianSoul.88 ****for the review! Enjoy the Chapter!**

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It's finally time for my date! I'm hoping that I don't run into my friends because they're sure to tease me about it. As much as I want to say it, I'll never admit that this is a date. I don't know why I'm so excited for it. Usually you're supposed to be really depressed after a bad breakup, but I'm not feeling any of that.

I'm a little nervous though. He always seemed to be a little shy around me so I'm afraid he'll be too scared to do anything. It's weird because he was never shy around anyone else besides me. He seemed normal talking to everyone else, but he stuttered a couple of times when he spoke to me.

I got outside as fast as I could. I didn't want to keep him waiting. Looking around, I couldn't find Salamander or any pink hair. I stood at the bottom of the stairs at the entrance of the school waiting for him to come out. About five minutes later, I heard footsteps from the other side of the front door, and then the sound of the door opening. Salamander didn't stop though, in fact he ran past me and looked for someone, hopefully me, but it doesn't seem like he found that person. When he turned around and saw me, he smiled. I guess it was me that he was looking for.

"Sorry I'm late, teacher held our class back late for talking too much." He said.

"It's okay, I wasn't waiting long." I said.

"Well you shouldn't have to wait at all. Come on, let's go!" He said, grabbing my hand and dashing off. Seriously, this guy has a lot of energy! He just ran from his class to his locker all the way down to the front of the school, and he still has enough energy to keep going! I managed to keep up with him until we got into town. He stopped, and because I wasn't looking forward, I ran into him.

"S-Sorry, Salamander." I said.

"No big deal! Okay so where to first? Hey are you hungry?" Salamander said.

"A little." I didn't want to lie to him, and usually dates involve food, so I'll definitely go ahead and say I am.

"Alright then! Ice cream sound good?" He asked me. I nodded. It's been a while since I've had ice cream and it's still warm out, I'll definitely take it.

"Okay, what flavor do you want?" He asked me. I hesitated a little bit and thought. A few seconds later I decided on strawberry.

"Strawberry's fine." I said.

"Okay then, I'll go get us some. Wait here, alright?" He said to me. Of course, I nodded. He came back in a minute with some ice cream for the two of us. I grabbed mine and began to eat it.

"So what do you want to do today? I know it's kinda stupid to ask someone to hang out and then not have anything to do, but I didn't have any time to plan." He said a little sheepishly. Normally a girl should be mad at the guy for not having anything to do, but for one, I was just grateful to be out here, and secondly, he seemed like a really nice guy so there's no way I could be mad at him.

"Umm... I don't really mind. We could always go to the uh... park I guess? I don't know it's really up to you." I said. I seriously don't care what I'm doing on a date with him. But does he know it's a date? I have to remember to ask him later.

"Okay! Come on Lucy!" Salamander said cheerfully as he grabbed my hand and ran off.

"Slow down Salamander! We have plenty of time!" I assured him. Seriously, I don't want to run everywhere we go. I'm tired from lack of sleep, I don't need to be tired from running around all day. "Besides I still have to finish my ice cream!"

"Oh." He said. He turned around and looked at me before saying, "Sorry. I get like that when I'm excited. I forgot you were still eating." He looked nervous.

"It's okay, just don't run off while someone is eating." I said, hoping to get rid of the nervousness.

We ended up going to the park. It took longer to get there because we walked, but I didn't complain because it was better than running everywhere. I'm horrible at running, so there's no way I would find myself running like Salamander did. We spent a while in the park together. After we left the park, we headed for the beach just to walk. Seriously, isn't that what couples do? I don't understand Salamander, but he is really nice and caring towards me. He's a lot better than Sting ever was to a girl. I saw the sun setting and was afraid my parents would be worried that I wasn't home.

"Hey, uhh Salamander do you know what time it is?" I asked him, hoping it wasn't too late.

"Uhh it's six-thirty in the even- OH CRAP! Wendy's gonna be so mad when she finds out I'm not home!" Salamander said nervously.

"Who's Wendy?" I asked.

"My little sister. She's in the seventh grade, so you probably haven't seen her around." He explained. Yeah, that would make sense. I only moved here two years ago when I was a freshman.

"How about I walk you home? It's getting pretty late and I'm a little nervous about sending you off on your own." He said. Aww, how sweet! He was thinking about my safety. Luckily though, I have to go get my car from school and drive home.

"No thanks, but you could always walk me back to school if you'd like. I need to get to my car to drive home." I explained.

"Of course I would!" He said cheerfully.

We walked together in silence for a minute or two. When we turned onto a different road, he said, "Hey look, this is the street I live on!" I looked around at the houses and saw a window on a small white house that couldn't have had more than two small floors open up. The house was in pretty good condition, it looked relatively new. A small blue-haired girl peeked her head out through the window and shouted. She looked like she was eleven or twelve.

"NATSU!" The girl screamed. Wait a minute, she's calling for Natsu? I only remember there being one Natsu in this town. I was drawn out of my thoughts when I saw something unbelievable.

Salamander waved back at the girl. Waved. But he didn't stop there, he shouted back, "Wendy!" Did he just admit... that his name was... Natsu?

"S-Salamander? Is your name ac-actually Natsu?" I said, a little nervous. I didn't want him to think I was suspecting him, but I'm actually pretty scared right now.

"Yeah, why?" He asked unfazed. Is he really so dumb?

"There's only one Natsu in this town though. His name is _Natsu Dragneel_." I said. And then it hit me. I could be spending my day right now the Dragon's Roar Gang Leader, Natsu Dragneel! Oh God, what have I agreed to?

"Umm, well uh... you see.." Natsu said, hesitantly. Oh boy, I knew exactly where this was going. And from the sound of it, he did too. I just found out who he was. And boy, was I pissed. Just when I thought he was a nice guy, he turns out to be a complete asshole! Am I a magnet for them or something?

"So you are? Natsu Dragneel?" I said a little louder, probably loud enough for Wendy to hear. Well, turns out she did!

"Yup that's my brother! Natsu Dragneel. He's super awesome, isn't he?" Wendy said excitedly. And then I just realized my mistake. Wow. I definitely shouldn't have agreed to spend the day with him.

Natsu is probably trying to think of something to say. He looks scared, rightfully so, but he probably can't find the right words. So, without hesitation, I slapped him right across the face.

I yelled at him, "You're supposed to tell a girl you're an asshole before you invite them on a date!" I was extremely pissed! You can't just go off acting normal when you're really an asshole like him! He causes more trouble than anyone else! And I bet he's responsible for everything bad that's happened over the years! And what does he do? He plays it off casually! He goes to school and acts _normal_ when really he's some awful selfish bastard who takes pleasure in ruining peoples' properties and beating up kids!

With all of this anger running through me, I managed to run to school really fast. It took about ten minutes of driving to get home. When I got home, I walked up to my bed and fell forward. I laid there for a couple of minutes, thinking about how much of a letdown it was to learn what a terrible person the guy was. It really did shock me though, because he acted so nice! He is probably like Sting, trying to get into my pants as fast as possible.

A few minutes later, I got up and went to do my homework. Of course, being in a fit of rage, I had a hard time concentrating and it took me even longer. I ended up staying up until midnight doing some simple assignments that would have taken two hours tops if I wasn't so damn pissed! Oh Natsu, you're going to get it tomorrow when I'm all tired, grumpy, and angry!

* * *

The next morning, I woke up extremely tired. Against my will, I walked downstairs and made myself some breakfast. If they weren't sleeping right now, I probably would have complained to my parents for buying such a large house for the three of us. We have so many extra rooms that won't ever be used! It's not like Mom is planning on having another child, I hope. I wouldn't want a sibling that's sixteen years younger than me.

I finally got to school. It's still pretty early in the morning, and I'm not fully awake yet. But the school doesn't care. As long as I'm in class before it starts, they don't care how tired, sad, grumpy, angry, or frustrated I might be. I'm just hoping Levy might be here to help me out. When I got to my locker, I frowned, seeing as though she wasn't here. I was seriously hoping I could at least talk to her today! I mean who else is going to hear my shitty life problems that relate to my god-awful love-life?

A few minutes into going through my locker, I hear my name being called. I thought I was just hearing things, but then I heard it again. It was _that_ voice. The one I despised so much. The voice that belonged to Natsu Dragneel.

"Hey Lucy! Are you there?" Natsu asked me. I'm not in the mood for his jokes even if we were on good terms.

"Shut it, Natsu." I said. That made him go wide-eyed. I just remembered that not everyone knew his real identity. This could be fun...

"Hey Lucy!" Natsu said cheerfully. Then he whispered to me, "Please don't tell them my name."

"Go away!" I screamed at him. That got a lot of attention. Now everyone in the hallway was looking at me.

"But Lucy? I was wondering why you ran off yesterday. You just slapped me and left! I didn't do anything wrong!" He defended himself. I seriously didn't think he was that stupid. Wasn't it obvious to everyone else that his name was feared by everyone?

"You were born, that's what you did wrong!" I shouted at him, full of anger. That might have been too far. I could see the hurt on his face, as well as the anger.

"I never said I asked to be born!" He shouted back at me. Our yelling got the one or two kids who weren't watching us to complete zone in on our conversation.

"Then stay the hell out of my life! You think that just because you're nice to me that I'll forgive you for all of the shit you put other people through? Did you know your gang attacked kids years ago? I bet you did. You probably suggested the idea! I had to hide in a bathroom, for THREE HOURS wondering if it was safe or not to come out. THREE WHOLE HOURS! You probably don't care. You're just another heartless bastard aren't you, Natsu Dragneel?" I said to him, as coldly as I possibly could. I glanced in either direction and saw the wide-eyed people who looked just like I probably did when I found out yesterday.

Natsu stood there. He didn't seem to be saying anything. Then he said something so bitter that I swear I never would forget, "I thought you were different. I didn't think you judged people. Maybe you should learn _who I really I am_ before you judge me." Not waiting for a response, he turned towards the crowd and began to walk away. Now that they knew who he was, there was no need for him to ask people to move out of the way, they just did.

He may have hurt me by saying that, but I still don't think it's right for me to be nice to a guy like him! Seriously? Who the heck does he think he his? He couldn't be a nice guy, he's the leader of an infamous gang. The _most_ infamous gang, to be exact! And he expects me to be nice to him? He's a criminal, a disgrace to society! He's the bad guy! The one you're supposed to stay away from!

* * *

He didn't talk to me at all during math that day. He didn't talk to anyone, and nobody dared talk to him. He was a ruthless brutalizer and property damager to everyone in that classroom. Even the teachers were a little nervous around the kid, but didn't they know who he was all along? I shouldn't worry too much about it. I hope him not talking to me during math would mean he's leaving me alone for the day. Unfortunately, luck wasn't in my favor, and I saw him again at lunch.

"Hey Lucy, I'm umm... so-

"Shut it Natsu. I don't want to hear it." I said bitterly. The more angry I sound, the better chances I have of him going away.

"But Lucy, I was trying to-

"I don't care how you planned on finishing that sentence. Go away, and leave me alone!" I said, starting in a normal voice but gradually raising it to a shout. That shout got a lot of attention.

"Fine then." He said, and walked away. I hoped that would be the last I saw of that pink-haired demon. It'd suck to run into him again.

As I approached my table, I could see the looks they were giving me. Some were shocked, others were congratulatory, but I didn't mind them.

"What? What is it?" I asked them.

"You! Y-You just, told the _Natsu Dragneel _off!" Erza said surprised.

"Yeah and so what? He's an asshole who deserves what's coming to him." I said bitterly. I really didn't want to talk about this.

"Juvia is scared Lucy might get attacked by Natsu's Gang." Juvia said. Oh crap, I never thought about that one. I don't think he'd go through with that though. But I did reveal his identity to the public and now he can't ever hide it again unless he uses disguises.

"Don't worry, he won't think about doing that. My parents have a lot of connections and could easily exterminate a gang." I said under a confident façade. Actually, I was kind of trembling in fear on the inside. My parents are good, but the Dragon's Roar Gang is basically unstoppable.

"But the Dragon's Roar Gang isn't just _any_ gang. It's the most dangerous gang in the state!" Levy said. Thanks for being a pal and making me feel safe Levy.

"Whatever. I'm not worried at all." I said, faking confidence. And the rest of lunch I thought about all of the brutal ways Natsu would try to get revenge on me.

* * *

My class was relatively normal. I was able to vent my anger successfully on Natsu, and now I was able to focus once more. I pushed away the fears of retaliation by Natsu and his Gang and focused on my work. It was successful enough that I was able to participate today. Once my classes were over, however, I felt a little bit of anger boil again. This time, it was accompanied by fear.

Why? Because Natsu Dragneel is currently approaching me for the _third_ time. I'll hide my fear to make sure he doesn't think he can get into my head, but on the inside, I'm actually really scared. But I'm also really angry.

"Hey Lucy, I just wanted to try to apologize before you cut-

"Whatever. Didn't I tell you to go away?" I said bitterly. As long as I'm mad he won't be able to get to my head.

"I just wanted to apologize." He said, a little downcast.

"Yeah well, you could have told me before you wasted four hours of my day yesterday. Then you screwed up my head and I took forever doing the simplest of homework!" I said angrily. Here I was, ranting about how I had a horrible day because of him. Did he deserve it? Probably.

"Sorry about that." He said, looking guilty. If I didn't know any better, I could hardly believe this guy was even _in_ a gang, much less a _gang leader_.

"Just... get out of my sight." I said, turning away from him. I started to walk towards the parking lot and noticed he wasn't following me.

I went home immediately and did my homework. Afterwords, I went into deep thought. There was a question lingering in the back of my mind. _Just how would Natsu Dragneel be treated at school now that everyone knows his name? _Will they be his friends still? Or do they fear him too much? How will Natsu take it? Will he be happy that people are afraid of him?

Oh well... It's not really my problem. It's his. I should probably stop thinking about him right now and get some sleep. Let's just see how this all plays out.


	3. Chapter 3: Living With Guilt

**A bunch of you think that Lucy was a jerk by doing that. And I kind of have to agree. But not every decision you make is good, right? Guilt eats away at those who consciously do wrong. ****If Natsu's character seems weird, that's because it hasn't been very developed since we only know what Lucy knows.**

**Also, PrincessVideogame, you're either a mind reader or have seen my plot document. Seriously, your review had stuff that was actually something I put in the plot document when I wrote it.**

**Thanks NatsuL0ver, Rosetta NightStar, PrincessVideogame, NyannersIsCool, Ebony, SnowAngelSlayerTasha, and the unnamed reviewers (a.k.a. guests) for the review! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Morning again... It's already Wednesday! I don't know if I should be glad that it's halfway through the week or if I should be upset that I still have half the week left. Well, a little more than half because I still have three days of school to go. It's not that important though. What is important is that I get to school on time! I slept through my first five alarms! Thankfully I set seven or else I'd have to deal with some angry parents. And my father is extremely scary when he's angry!

I ended up skipping breakfast because I needed to get to school on time to get a good parking spot. After I had gotten ready, I immediately got in my car and drove to school. I pulled into the parking lot and went looking for spots. When I thought I'd have to park really far away, I ended up finding a great spot. As soon as I parked, I exhaled and sat back in my seat for about five minutes. Thankfully there was still fifteen minutes until classes began.

When I decided it was about time to go inside, I went up to my locker straight away. I really wanted someone to talk to, and it looked like Levy would be the greatest choice.

"Hey Levy! I didn't get to talk to you much yesterday!" I said, trying to greet her.

"Well, you were pretty busy dealing with Natsu yesterday." Levy said.

"Yeah well he kind of deserved it." I said, confident that he got what was coming to him.

"I don't know about that Lucy. He doesn't look very happy." Levy pointed out. Was she trying to make me feel bad for what I did? Seriously did I do something wrong because I'm pretty sure he deserved it!

"Yeah, well I still think he deserved it. Besides, don't gang members like to be feared?" I said defensively.

"He wouldn't have hid his identity if he wanted people to know who he was." Levy said. Good point, Levy. I guess I still don't know why he hid his identity, but I'm guessing it's to hide his name from other gangs. I don't need to worry about him, besides I'm pretty sure he hates me by now.

"Just think about it, Lucy." Levy said. However, before I could respond, the warning bell rang and I had to go off to class. I'll see what Natsu's like in math class today. I bet he's perfectly content with people knowing his name.

* * *

I didn't have math until third period today, so I had to wait until then to see him. I wasn't planning on talking to him though, because I don't want to be dragged into his life. So just sat in my seat, which happens to be right next to his. A few days ago when I sat here, I noticed how lively the class is, but today, it feels so... dead. I mean nobody at all is talking! That's so unlike a class to not want to talk!

I looked over to the side and saw the people closest to Natsu be the most uncomfortable. Are they afraid of him or something? I think they might be. Even the loudest kids were silent next to Natsu. Is he really feared that much? I glance over to Natsu and see the sad look he's giving the wall. He's staring into space, probably lost in thoughts, with a frown on his face. That's weird. He looks... saddened. Why would he be sad though, nobody is going to mess with him. The class is probably quiet for a delinquent like him to doze off and we don't have a test or anything today. What could make him so sad?

Just then a memory flashed through my mind. It was the class two days ago, when I was thinking about how odd "Salamander" was. At first I thought it was a little funny how I pondered the meaning of his name, but then when I looked at what was going on, I saw him talking happily with the students and they looked like they were having a good time. As soon as the memory passed though, I looked into this dull environment and realized what's wrong.

These kids are all so scared of Natsu they won't even talk to him! Jeez he has _that_ kind of effect on people? Being the gang leader like him, I guess it makes sense to have a lot of people fear you. I'd never admit it to him, but I actually am kind of afraid of what he could do to me if I got on his bad side. But wait... aren't I on his bad side already?

Before I could freak out, Natsu turned around to look out the window. When he started to face backwards, all of the students behind and to the sides of him flinched. They _flinched_. It was so hilarious seeing like five kids jump in their seats because Natsu turned around. I would have started laughing if my teacher hadn't just walked in.

After he turned around to face forward, I saw an expression on his face. That's when I realized that frowns just don't suit him. He's the kind of kid who should always be smiling, not frowning!

* * *

Third period class ended up being boring, and fourth wasn't much better. I felt like my stomach was eating itself in fourth period, because I hadn't eaten anything this morning. I ran to the cafeteria. Literally, I sprinted down the hallway, dodging people, open doors, books, lockers, and backpacks. Nothing was going to keep me from getting to that cafeteria and that's that.

When I got down there, my friends were already talking. I sat down and began to eat, somewhat listening into their conversation.

"So anyone want to see a movie this weekend? I'm free on Friday." Levy asked.

"Sure, what movie are you thinking?" Erza asked.

My eyes started to wander around the cafeteria, and I noticed an empty table. Well it looked almost empty. When I looked closer, I could see Natsu was eating there. Alone. I wondered where his friends were, and why they weren't sitting with him. Then I remembered math class and how those kids wouldn't even look at him, much less talk to him, out of fear. It felt like a stab to the heart to see him sitting all by his lonesome self. He doesn't belong on his own, he belongs with his friends. But where were they? Oh yeah, they all ditched him after I told them his identity. It was my fault he was sitting there all by himself, with that downcast look, not really eating much.

"Hey Lucy, Lucy!" Levy said waving a hand in front of my face.

"Yeah, huh, what?" I said, snapping back into reality. They were still talking? Oh I guess I was too saddened by seeing Natsu sitting by himself.

"We were planning on seeing Lucy the movie later in the week." Cana said.

"But I don't want to! It's the kind of movie a guy would like! It's drugs and shooting!" Levy complained.

"I offer no opinion." Erza said.

"But we have to see Lucy! I mean the main character has Lucy's name! And she has blonde hair too!" Cana said.

"I'm in the same boat as Erza." I said. Levy and Cana went back to arguing about seeing some movie, and Erza went back to her cake. Doesn't she get sick of eating it? She has it way too much for it to be healthy.

I glanced back in Natsu's direction and saw him still sitting there. He looked really sad. Not like crying sad, but just depressed sad. A little longing too. I started to frown as I saw him frowning, but only one person saw it.

"Juvia is wondering what is making Lucy sad." Juvia said.

"Just look over there." I said, pointing to Natsu's table.

"Lucy is sad that Natsu is sitting alone?" Juvia asked.

I nodded.

"Well, Juvia thinks Lucy should go apologize for being rude." Juvia said. Maybe she's right. I could apologize for it. Maybe I'll even be his friend.

"Okay, I'll do that after school today. Hey by the way Juvia, you've been pretty quiet today. What are you thinking about?" I asked.

"Oh nothing. Juvia is thinking about Gray." Juvia said.

"Gray? Who's Gray?" I asked.

"Gray is Juvia's new love! Juvia and Gray are meant to be!" Juvia said enthusiastically.

"You got a boyfriend? That's great!" I said, thinking that was what she meant.

"Oh no, Juvia hasn't confessed. But Juvia will soon." Juvia said.

"Good luck Juvia." I said, before going back to my food. Seeing Natsu so sad made me lose my appetite, but if I don't eat anything, I'll be seriously starving by the time I get home.

* * *

Doing what Juvia suggested, I went to see Natsu to apologize. Seventh period had just ended and it was time to go home. I went looking for him around the school and I ended up seeing something that I hoped was a good sign.

Natsu was talking to some kids about his age. They didn't look that nervous around him, so I figured those were loyal friends. When I got a little closer, pretending not to hear the conversation, I listened to what they were saying.

"So anyway, you wanna hang out a little later?" Natsu asked them.

"Umm.. No, I can't because I...uh...have to water my mother's flowers." One kid said before leaving.

"Me neither... I just got this game...umm...and I want to play it! Yeah! It's brand new!" The other said, running off.**  
**

Wow, that hurt even more. They made up excuses to get away from Natsu when all he did was ask if they wanted to hang out! And seriously, what lame excuses! The first guy mentions watering flowers, but seriously what guy waters his mother's flowers right after school? Can't they wait an hour or two? And then the other guy! He basically told Natsu that he'd rather play a video game than hang out with him!

When I turned around to go see Natsu, he was already gone. I guess I missed my chance. I could always visit him and say sorry, but it's probably best if I don't because I don't know if he's mad at me. So instead, I walked down to the parking lot and drove home in silence. I didn't even put the radio on. I realized that I seriously regretted telling Natsu's identity to the school. Maybe tomorrow I can make it better.

* * *

After a bit of homework, I managed to get a good amount of sleep. I still needed to catch up on it because I didn't get much Sunday or Monday night. When I woke up on Thursday morning, I felt a lot better. Not only that, but I woke up a lot earlier too! I'll probably be one of the first people in the lot. I get free pick! Excitedly, I ran down the hallway, making sure I didn't make that much noise, and made some breakfast in the kitchen. I left a whole fifteen minutes earlier than I usually do, and I got to school almost 45 minutes before class starts. I have a lot of time to kill.

I ended up walking towards the front door, and I noticed a small girl waiting near it. She had this blue hair that I swore I had seen before. She looked rather young, almost eleven or twelve. Wait a minute! That's Wendy! Natsu's little sister. But why would she be here? I hope she's not here to tell me there's something wrong with Natsu.

"Excuse me, miss..." Wendy said to me. Being so early, we were the only ones outside.

"You can call me Lucy if you'd like to Wendy." I said sweetly.

"Okay thanks Lucy! Well I came here to ask you a question!" Wendy said brightly.

"What did you want to ask me?" I asked her curiously.

"Well... it has to do with Natsu." She said, looking a little sad. Uh oh, if Natsu did something to her I swear I'll forget apologizing to him and go back to being cold forever! I probably gave a look mixed with nervousness and anger. But then again, if he's hurt himself, I'd be pretty scared. I'm really nervous for what she's about to say.

"No no no! It's not like that Lucy! Natsu didn't do anything to me, I promise!" She said defensively. Did she just read my mind? "Actually, you see, when Natsu came home that day after you...umm... slapped him, I got really scared. I was afraid Natsu was going to yell at me because it was my fault that you learned his real name. I forgot he told me to keep it a secret. I apologized to him a lot and started to cry, but he just smiled at me and said it would be okay. Natsu's really the best older brother in the world. When he told me to go to bed, he gave me a bright smile and said not to worry about anything." Wendy said.

I smiled at how sweet he was to her. Maybe he has an actual good side. If she can say that confidently then he's probably a pretty good older brother. He probably knew that his identity was on the line, but he didn't even get mad at her even though it was her fault his real name got out. He must really care about her. I would have thought he would be a jerk to his younger sister since he's in a gang and all, but he's actually really sweet.

"But two days ago, when he came home and I asked him if he was okay, he said yes but he didn't sound so happy. I could tell his smiles were forced. They didn't last very long. It was obvious he was trying to keep me from worrying, but I knew he was hurting on the inside." Wendy said sadly. Two days ago, was Tuesday right? The day I told everyone he was Natsu. "I thought it was only a one day thing, so I pretended as if I didn't notice it." Wendy continued. "But when he came home yesterday, he said he was fine and that it was just a rough day at school. He didn't even give me fake smiles, but he made sure to tell me it wasn't my fault. He really does care about me."

"So I decided to care about him." Wendy concluded. "It's only fair that I look after him since he's done so much for me!" I noticed how her determined face looked really cute. "So I came to school today to look for you to ask you why he's so sad. I really don't like seeing him like this, but I didn't want to bother him. That's why I came here looking for you! I need to figure out what is making Natsu so sad!"

"Well, Wendy, the day after you saw me, I called him Natsu in front of everyone and they found out. His friends weren't comfortable with being friends with Natsu because he's a dangerous person. But don't worry, I'll make him happy again! I already realized what I did was wrong." I said.

"Natsu isn't dangerous! He's the nicest person in the whole wide world! He's never hurt me!" Wendy said defensively.

"Well, they think he's a dangerous person. They probably don't know him well though." I said.

"Yeah they don't! Natsu doesn't hurt anyone! He told me it was wrong to fight!" Wendy said. I found that extremely contradictory. Did Natsu, the gang leader, tell people that it was wrong to fight? I mean seriously, doesn't that sound so hypocritical? He's the leader of a gang who fights people and yet he's telling his sister not to? I need to figure out more about Natsu. He's like the ideal brother and best friend yet he's also a gang leader. Those don't really go well together.

"Hey Wendy, how are you going to get to school? You have school today right?" I asked.

"I'm going to walk to school. It's only a twenty-five minute walk." Wendy said. She's going to spend 25 minutes walking to a school? What about her parents. Couldn't they drive her?

"You're going to walk? But couldn't you have your parents drive you? That's pretty far away for someone your age." I asked her.

"That's what Natsu said when I asked to walk to his school with him. But no, my parents can't drive me because I don't know where they are." Wendy said sadly. "My mother Grandine died giving birth to me. Even though sometimes I blame myself, Natsu never blames me for it. And my dad Igneel left when Natsu was 10. He didn't even tell us where he was going. We haven't seen him since."

Did I just ask her where her parents where when one was dead and the other left him? Am I that inconsiderate? Even worse, I destroyed the social life of a kid who doesn't have parents? He had to put up fake smiles for his sister not to see his pain! What have I done!?

"How do you live in your house then. Did Igneel leave behind a lot of money?" I asked. Please say yes. Please tell me that he doesn't have to work for their well being too. Don't tell me-

"Nope. He didn't leave us anything. Natsu managed to open an ice cream shop a year ago. Before that he used to work for construction companies to build stuff, you know? Well when he got enough money he built an ice cream shop because Magnolia didn't have any! Natsu works really hard and it's kinda funny because he was able to convince the town into thinking he was Igneel! He used Igneel's IDs and everything! I guess it makes sense because Natsu looks just like Igneel did. So technically Igneel owns it, but Natsu's the one who runs it! He did hire a couple of workers though, so he just makes sure the company doesn't go bankrupt and stuff. Natsu explained it all to me when he opened it. He does such cool stuff!" Wendy said, admiring Natsu's amazing abilities.

Even worse. I just wrecked the social life of a boy who doesn't have parents, lives with his sister, and has to work to keep his house. He was so happy too, and I just had to go in and take that happiness away.

"Wendy do you need a ride to school? I could probably drive you." I offered.

"No thanks, my friend Romeo lives down the street. He said that he'd love to walk to school with me today." Wendy said.

"Alright then, I guess I'll see you later." I said, waving goodbye.

"Bye Lucy, don't worry about Natsu too much. He'll be okay. Just be his friend for me, alright?" Wendy said.

"You didn't even have to ask." I said. How did she know I was worried about him? Then I touched my hand to my face. Tears. I felt tears. Was I really crying about how bad I screwed up? Maybe it was good to cry. I shouldn't have done that to him. I'm going to sit at lunch with him today. That's exactly what I'll do! I don't care if he forgives me or not, I'm going to try my best to make it happen!


	4. Chapter 4: Make-ups and Explaining

**School Started Today. Weekday Chapters will be afternoon or nighttime things. Yesterday I read 2/4 books. That's why there was no chapter.**

**This is in the Humor Section... Possibly a mistake, but I can't say that until the story is over.**

**Thanks EgyptianSoul.88, Candy5554, Ebony, Maelstrom Alert, and Rose Tiger for reviewing!**

* * *

After talking to Wendy, I walked up to my locker. I checked my phone, and realized I had almost no time at all until class starts. Hopefully Levy is still there, because I at least want to tell someone what I'm about to do. That way they have 911 on speed dial in case I get attacked. I finally get up to the floor my locker is on and see her about to walk away. Quickly, I shout out, "LEVY!", and run to my locker so she doesn't leave.

"Yeah what is it Lucy? Why didn't you come here sooner?" Levy asked.

"Yeah well, you see... I was kind of talking to Wendy." I said, before realizing she didn't know who Wendy was.

"Wendy? Who's that? Is she a new girl here?" Levy asked curiously.

"No, she's Wendy _Dragneel_. You know, Natsu's little sister." I pointed out.

"Natsu has a little sister? Someone call child services!" Levy said.

"Shh! No, don't say that! Natsu is like the best brother ever from her stories! She couldn't find a better home to live in!" I defended him.

"Okay did Natsu put you up to this?" Levy asked suspiciously.

"No... I haven't spoken to him for two days. I just wanted to tell you something." I said, trying to get onto my original topic.

"What's that?" She asked me.

"I'm going to sit with Natsu at lunch today." I said boldly.

"What do you mean? You can't do that! Do you _want _to die?" She asked, as if I was stupid. Clearly, I've thought this out.

"Yeah, well, I'm going to anyways. I owe it to him." I said, finishing the sentence just before the bell went off. "Anyways, see you later. Gotta get to class." I turned and started to walk away.

"I know I said it was cruel to tell people he was Natsu, but sitting with him is dangerous! I wouldn't do it if I were you!" She warned. I turned around, and while walking backwards, I answered her.

"But you aren't me! And I've been a jerk to him this whole time! I should make it up somehow!" I said, but more like basically shouted, down the hall. With that I turned off and ran to my first period class.

My classes didn't prove to be very exciting. I have a feeling that this isn't just the class that's being boring, but mostly because I don't feel like listening. It's probably all the anxiety I'm feeling for lunch period. It's been wrecking my concentration. Thankfully I already had my major quarterly tests last week so I'm not going to be screwed on a test this week. That aside, I should still be paying attention. Hopefully I resolve things with Natsu sooner than later.

It was finally lunch time and I felt uncomfortable in the stomach. It wasn't hunger that was causing it though, it was the anxiety of finally meeting him. I was an absolute jerk to him two days ago. Three times he tried to say sorry, and even though he sounded genuinely sorry, I ignored him each and every time. I completely shut out anything he had to say just because I was angry at him. He couldn't even explain why he was a gang. If only he told me-

Wait a minute! I never found out why he was in a gang. I learned so much about him though. I learned about his life at home, his past issues, economic situation, everything really except for joining the gang! I should have asked Wendy, although I doubt she'd know because she's just a kid and I don't think Natsu is too quick to talk about a gang.

But seriously, someone like Natsu in a gang? I'd hardly believe it if I had no idea who he was. There's not a person in this world who can be as amazingly kind and selfless as Natsu and yet join a gang. It just doesn't make sense! Agh! Stupid Lucy! Don't forget you came to apologize, not ask why he's in a gang!

I spotted my normal friends and waved. I wasn't sure if Levy had told them or not about me sitting next to Natsu, but I hope she did. I wouldn't want them to come over here thinking I'm suicidal. Seriously, I'm not!

After waving, I turned my attention to where Natsu was sitting. Yet again, it was like he had a forcefield around him. The kids wouldn't sit within a ten foot radius of him, doing as much as to squeeze up next to each other to the point where they have no space instead of sitting near him. I would've complained, but it leaves a lot of room for me!

As I went to sit down, I noticed the cafeteria's noise level drop significantly. I looked around and saw so many staring eyes. They all looked at me as if I was insane, like I was asking to die. Even when I looked over to my friends, Levy was just as wide-eyed, deep staring as the rest of them. It was almost as if they thought I was mentally insane! Shrugging it off, I sat down. Still, people didn't stop looking at me. They all watched me like a hawk! Can't I get some privacy? So I did the only logical thing to get them to stop looking.

"What the hell do you think you're looking at?" I said scornfully. "Yeah you! Short kid with the glasses. And everyone else in here, who can't stop looking at me. What the hell is up with all of the sudden attention?" That seemed to work, and most of the people looked away. It was the farthest I was going to get so I sighed, and sat down.

"Can you believe those kids?" I asked Natsu, not really expecting an answer. "Staring at me like I was some kind of alien."

"Makes sense since you're sitting so close to me." Natsu said, looking a little sad.

"Aww come on, cheer up buddy!" I said trying to make him happy.

"I don't know if I'm in the mood..." He said trailing off.

"In the mood? How can you not be in the mood to be happy!" I said excitedly.

"Well, the person I care the most about in this school is mad at me, and the rest won't even talk to me." He said. I don't know why, but I felt a little hurt when he said 'person I care the most about' and not 'Lucy'. Who exactly is this person?

"Jeez, you sound like such a delinquent." I said sarcastically. "You know, most delinquents _like_ to be feared. They want people to know who they are and stay away. And then there's you! You're like the role-model brother and friend and you're some sort of gang leader. And then you get _sad_ when people ignore you. You're not a typical delinquent."

"That's the understatement of the year." He said, not looking any happier.

"See! This must be really hurting you! If this person who's so close to you is making you so sad, do you want me to help?" I asked.

"Well the person I care the most about in this school is asking me if I want help... Though I'm afraid she might be trying to torment me further." Natsu said, a little sadly. He said _the person he cares about the most in school offered to help him? _But, wait, I'm the only... He thinks of ME as the most important person in the school to him? ME? After everything I've done? We weren't even close friends, but he always thought of ME as the best? Over all of his "so-called" friends who were once nice to him before their cowardice kicked in! But... why me?

"I would never torment you! But...why me? Why me, Natsu? What have I done for you besides bad things? Of course I'd help you! I'll be there for you! Just like we were before..._this_... all happened!" I offered excitedly. Then I noticed something he didn't do for the past two days at school:

He _smiled_.

"I'll definitely accept your offer Lucy!" He said enthusiastically. It was as if his entire life force was returned to him. He immediately brightened up. He got super excited over me accepting to be his friend! _Even though I would like to be more..._

Well, my parents probably wouldn't accept him as my boyfriend, but they accepted Sting, so you never really know with them. Maybe they thought Blonde and Blonde, kind of like how they ended up. Surely if they found out about _real_ Natsu they'd accept him as my boyfriend! But wait a second, why am I talking about boyfriend plans? I just agreed to be his friend, right? Either way, it's a good start, and I doubt I have any competition, seeing as how much of a sissy everyone else is.

"...today. Hey Lucy! Were you listening?" Natsu shouted, waving a hand in front of my face. I snapped back to reality and giggled, saying that I missed what he just said.

"I said we should spend the day together again today! I promised Wendy I'd walk her home again, so I have to find something to do, and so I was wondering if you'd like to go somewhere after school today!" Natsu said, bright smile on his face.

"Of course Natsu, I'd love to!" I said, slightly blushing at the way he was looking at me with such happiness.

"Alright, let's meet up after school in front again, just like Monday!" He said excitedly.

"Yeah, and I promise I won't run off on you! Really! I'll stay the whole time I swear!" I said, trying to convince him I wasn't going to slap him... again.

"Don't worry, I know you wouldn't now that we're not hiding any secrets from each other!" He said smiling. Was I hiding any secrets? I hope not. I basically knew everything about him so it'd be pretty mean if I didn't tell him anything about me.

Lunch ended, and I felt a million and a half times better. It was almost as if his happiness re-awoken mine. For some reason, I didn't realize until sixth period that he forgave me so easily. Even though it brought about a little bit of guilt, I reassured myself that I would make it up to him. I'll repay him the kindness he's shown me, and make up for that silly mistake I made. He gave me more chances than I deserve for what I did to him.

After class, Natsu stood underneath a tree, leaning his back on it. He had one leg on the ground and the other bent at the knee with his foot flat on the side of the tree trunk. I ran outside and over to him, probably gaining more attention from the other school kids who were too afraid of him to even glance. I laughed at the thought of those kids, missing out on having one of the best friends ever. I'm not complaining though, it means I get to spend more time with him.

"Hey Natsu!" I greeted him. He looked up and smiled.

"Hey Lucy!" He responded.

"Sorry I kept you waiting." I apologized.

"It's not a problem. It's only a problem if I kept you waiting." He said. Sometimes I think it'll be impossible to repay all that he's done for me. Seriously, he says sweet things and forgives me in the blink of an eye for killing his social life.

"So did you plan anything to do this time?" I asked.

"Nope, sorry. Actually, I didn't expect I'd ever get to talk to you again after Tuesday." He said sheepishly.

"It's okay. And sorry about that, I was being really mean that day." I said apologetically.

"No big deal. Anyways do you have anything in mind?" He asked me.

"How about we go ice skating? There's a new outdoor rink that opened up this week because the expected temperature drop." I suggested.

"Umm... Alright sure." He said. I picked up on a slight uneasiness in his voice.

"Do you not want to go? We don't have to if you don't want to!" I said, hoping to clear the idea that he has to keep me happy from his head.

"No, I do! It's just there's someone I know there..." He said. I gave him a look of concern that he picked up on immediately. "Oh it's alright. We're not enemies or anything. We'll never admit we're friends, but we kind of are. In each other's presence we call each other rivals, luckily someone else is always there to say we're actually friends. But I'm never gonna admit he's my friend to him because he'll accuse me of getting soft."

We began to walk out towards the outdoor rink. It was set up in the park, so it was only a ten minute walk. I offered to drive, but he said, "No, because then it'd mean I got to spend less time with you." So we walked.

The weather changed pretty drastically in the past few days. I remember him offering to get me ice cream, and how warm it was. Now it's cold enough to set up an ice rink. I guess that's average November though, when it can go from warm to cold extremely fast.

As we were about to get there, that question of why he joined the gang popped up in my mind. Now would be as good a time as any to ask, right?

"Hey Natsu, why did you ever join a gang? I mean, Wendy told me a bit about you this morning, but she never made it clear as to why you joined it." I said.

"Oh that's why Wendy wanted to walk to school with me? She was looking for you? Didn't know you became friends!" He asked.

"Yeah well she told a decent bit about you. Nothing about why you joined the gang. That's why I was curious. You don't have to answer if you don't want to though."

"No it's fine." He said as we were walking towards the ticket booth to buy tickets to go skating. "You see, back when I was in eighth grade, the Dragon's Roar Gang did exist. Of course, it's nothing like it is now. It was a lot less dangerous, but it built its reputation by picking on kids. You said you were once a victim of it, well... so was Wendy.

"I was in eighth grade that time, and I didn't have much free time. I still had to make money to support the two of us, but thankfully we were able to sell a bit of furniture that our father and mother owned to pay for some of the bills. Either way, I wasn't home most of the day back then. One day, when Wendy came home from her elementary school, she was all battered and bruised. When I asked her who did it, she said it was someone in the Dragon's Roar Gang.

"Of course, I didn't just consider joining the gang then and there. So I watched over her pretty closely. For two weeks I managed to do a good job. I walked her home from school everyday, and I took her to her sports after school. I couldn't do that forever though, because we wouldn't have enough money to continue to afford this house. So two weeks later, the first day I stop walking her home, she comes home battered and bruised again. That was when it hit me. If I wanted to stop these beatings, I'd have to join the Dragon's Roar Gang.

"I always knew about the Dragon's Roar Gang's 'family' ideals. Basically, a friend of yours is a friend of the gang. So by joining, I was able to get Wendy out of harms way from the Gang. I hated being in it, but it did manage to keep those guys away. Nobody came after her anymore. Everything went back to normal. In the end, I ended up staying around to protect her."

Wow, so he joined the gang to protect his sister? That's even more commitment than I thought! And Levy thought she was in danger. As if! Wendy probably has the best brother in the entire world!

So that explains why he joined the gang. But become the leader? Wouldn't he want to remain low-key so that nobody knew he was in the gang. Yet he joined up to the highest ranks!

"But Natsu, why'd you become the leader of the gang if you didn't want to be a part of it in the first place?" I asked.

Before my question could be answered, we were in the front of the line for the ticket booth. The guy inside had dark hair and for some odd reason he wasn't wearing a shirt! He did have a small necklace around his neck though.

"Two tickets snow-cone." Natsu said, no manners at all. He has to know this person well enough to give a response like that.

"So you finally got her, huh? About time dragon-breath." The man behind the booth said.

"Why exactly are you doing this job, Gray? Last I checked you had plenty of money to go around." Natsu asked.

"No reason. It's easy. They pay me quite a bit, plus, there's no uniform." Gray said.

"So by no uniform, you mean you're not gonna wear a shirt? This job must be perfect for you." Natsu said mockingly.

"Shut up man. Anyways, take your damn tickets and I hope you fall." Gray said. How nice of him. "Of course that's only for him. I don't know what crazy thing influenced you to be around him, but your choice, not mine." He didn't want me to fall, but he thought I was crazy for being around Natsu. This guy was crazy.

"Uhh... thanks?" I said.

"Later, Gray." Natsu said before walking off with me.

"So that was the guy you knew?" I asked.

"Yeah, that's Gray. He was actually the one who picked on Wendy, but he seriously regrets it. He even came over and apologized to Wendy, and now the two are good friends. He only did it because he was pressured to by others... Either way, I don't blame him for it." Natsu said.

"Aww, how sweet. Anyways, I was wondering why you're the leader of the gang if you didn't want to be in it in the first place." I asked.

"Sorry for not answering your question the first time." Natsu said. I smiled to tell him it was okay. Natsu finished tying one skate before he began to speak. By then, I was well onto my second.

"Well, you have to understand something about gangs first. You see, there are what we call 'Gang Leaders' but really they're just the strongest person. There aren't any special privileges to being the so-called 'leader'. That's me. I'm the leader of the Dragon's Roar Gang in that I'm the strongest person in the gang. All that I do is give out the orders that the real leader tells me to give out. The only person in the gang who knows the actual leader is the fake leader. So I know who it is, but I can't tell anyone or else the gang is placed in a dangerous situation.

"That's why, in case you didn't notice, when people found out who I was, nobody came after me. No other gang attacked me or tried to capture me because they know I'm not really in charge. They know I'm just the guy who gives out orders from the real person in charge. That's why I'm left alone. People could figure out who the real gang leader was from me, but they don't because they know I could easily be lying and they'd have no way to prove it.

"Now that you know it's really just a title for the strongest, I guess you'd have figured out that I didn't choose to be the leader voluntarily. I was noted to be the strongest very quickly, and I they appointed me after the previous fake leader left. I was forced into the position over the summer after eighth grade. I've been there since, and I masked my identity so if it did ever get out, they couldn't match it to a face." He explained. In that time, we had both managed to get our skates on and walk over towards the rink.

Wow, so he's really the strongest in the gang? That Gray guy looked pretty strong, but Natsu is the strongest? I wonder how many more people are in that gang. Natsu has to be really strong! I could only imagine what he loo- _Stop, perverted thoughts!_

Natsu stepped onto the ice, and extended his hand out to me. I grabbed it, and we were off.


	5. Chapter 5: Skating and Evening

**GAHHH! I just lost a half hours worth of typing! I had a lot of this chapter typed out and it's all gone. Oh well.**

**Thanks Chikalover, CelestialWizard, sofsof2015, NatsuL0ver, Ebony, and the unnamed reviewer.**

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Wow, it's been quite a while since I last skated on ice. Luckily, I still can skate pretty well. I guess those skating lessons from eighth grade paid off because I'm better than Natsu. Though he doesn't look like he's new either. He looks like he might have gone skating a few times before, but in no way an expert. But I doubt he'd go skating because of how much he likes fire. So what exactly was it? Was he a natural?

"Natsu, I'm not trying to be mean, but how come you can ice skate? I thought you hated skating." I asked.

"That's because back in eighth grade, Gray decided to throw a stupid-ass skating party. Of course I refused to go because I didn't want to, but he only invited the gang and everyone else in the gang was going. If I was the only one who didn't, I would have never heard the end of it. So I decided to go, and Gray, of course, decided to be an asshole and trip me every time he skated by me. Of course I got him back at the end of the day, but I had to learn to dodge his attempts to trip me. So I ended up learning how to skate in the process." He explained.

"Oh okay. It seemed kind of weird, you know? You like fire and summer, yet you own an ice cream shop and know how to skate a bit. I never would have expected that from you." I stated.

"Yeah, well I didn't really want to open an ice cream shop either. If I had my choice, I would have picked something hot and spicy, but there were a bunch of those in town already, yet nobody had an ice cream shop. I don't mind selling ice cream too much though, because it's a summer food. Of course, you can eat ice cream year round, but it's so much more popular in the summer than it is in the winter. In fact, I close the store earlier in the winter because I want to save money. Ice cream is okay in my opinion. I don't like it because it's cold, but it's also a summer food, which makes it okay." He explained.

"That makes sense. Though how did you even open the store? I thought you needed to be eighteen to own property? How did you get past that? Is it hard to run the ice cream shop? Do you make a good amount of money? How did you hire people? Is owning a store time consuming?" I asked. I was a little afraid of being nosy, but I was extremely interested in his business. I mean how many people open up stores at the age of fourteen?! I couldn't have done that!

"Well, you see I got the money from my uncle Atlas Flame. Igneel left when I was 10, or in fifth grade. So I had to work from fifth through eighth grade before I ended up opening the store. I was trying to wait for puberty to pass so that I could fake myself as Igneel using all of the IDs he so stupidly left behind. I needed to work somewhere, so I asked my uncle Atlas for a job. He's pretty high up in the construction business or something, but his wife would definitely not let me stay with them, so I had to make my own money. Atlas, feeling sorry for me, gave me a job in his construction company. It was decent pay, enough to keep up this house, but work was long. I rarely had time to study, which I had needed to do because nobody else was going to be there to support me when I got out of high school. I couldn't even think of going to college because I can't expect Wendy to pay my bills. I wasn't always a bright kid though. In fact, when I was younger, I didn't do any of the schoolwork and barely passed with some Cs and C+s. Igneel told me to do better in school, but I ignored him because I did what I wanted and that's that.

"Anyways, it turns out I managed to grow enough during eighth grade to pass off as Igneel. I was still an inch or two off, but that could be blamed for old age. I had also accumulated enough money to buy a small plot of land for what I wanted to open. I had discussed ideas of stores with Wendy, and she seemed to like the ice cream one the most. She still does, because she eats them every so often. I needed to get a loan though, so I asked my uncle Atlas for a loan, and he granted me one. Now, with all the money I needed, I could open the ice cream store and start business. Construction went pretty fast, and it was done by the end of the school year of eighth grade. When it opened, everybody from town seemed to come in. I had so many customers that I found it hard to keep up with the line. It was a huge success. I stuck with the business and was actually able to pay off Atlas's loan in that summer. At the end of summer, when school was reproaching and I needed to get back to school, I had to hire people. I told them that I was Igneel's son, and that I did the hiring. They just seemed to roll with it, and I got two guys in for the school year." He explained. Wow, that's a complicated ice cream business.

"Jeez, Natsu you never cease to amaze me, do you?" I asked. Seriously, even my father would love this guy! He could easily inherit dad's company with no problem if he can open an ice cream shop at the age of fourteen. Fourteen! That's crazy! I can't believe Natsu can do something like that! I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them. But Juvia did tell me that day to make up with Natsu, so maybe she would.

What was that thing Juvia was talking about? Something about a color... Silver? No... Red? No... Oh yeah! It was Gray! Something about loving Gray. Was it the color? Or was it... hmm... I feel like I should know this, but I can't seem to put a finger on it. Apparently, Natsu noticed my deep thoughts.

"Hey, whatcha thinking so hard about?" He asked.

"Oh nothing, just something my friend Juvia said about Gray. I don't know what the color ha-

"You mean GRAY? AS IN FULLBUSTER?" Natsu said, increasing his voice at the end.

"Oh my God! Now I remember! She was talking about this guy named Gray she met and fell in love with! It sounded pretty deep. But I couldn't think of anything but the color gray, so I thought she was talking about her love for a color. But it turns out she loves a person named Gray!" I said triumphantly. I just cracked that case!

"Does she have blue hair, speak about herself in the third person?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, that's Juvia!" I said excitedly.

"You know, Gray can't stop talking about her. He keeps mentioning someone with blue hair, but he doesn't use her name so Loki doesn't try to flirt with her." Natsu said.

"You mean, Loki is in the gang?" I asked. Did he just give away two more gang members?

"Yes, but please don't mention their names. I don't want them to have to be like me. Promise you won't?" He said. Like I would rat his friends out! Of course I'd promise!

"Of course! I wouldn't ever dare think of ratting your friends out!" I said confidently.

"Okay, good." Natsu said. "Anyways, you want to come with me to pick up Wendy? I can make you dinner!" He offered to make me dinner? This guy could cook? Seriously, I don't think there's a bad quality in this guy.

"Yeah sure I'll go. I wasn't planning on leaving you alone by yourself anytime soon." I smiled at him, letting him know I was there for him.

"And if you're wondering, I'm not a bad cook, but I'm not a professional. When I started cooking, poor Wendy had so many disgusting meals. Did you know I once burnt soup?" He said.

"But soup has so much broth! How do you burn liquid broth?" I asked.

"Yeah I was wondering that too. But I did that! Maybe it's worth a World Record. How-much-soup-you-can-burn-award." He said sheepishly.

We skated around for about twenty or so more minutes before we decided to take our skates off and return them. On the way out we passed by Gray again and I said, "Good luck with _Juvia_.", with a smirk. He looked so flustered I tried extremely hard to contain my laughter, but I couldn't suppress it once Natsu started laughing. After some good laughs, we left to go pick up Wendy.

We walked onto the same road Natsu's house was on. Just a few days ago, I slapped him here. It really doesn't make me happy to think about what I did. Though it's good that I apologized to him at lu-Wait a minute! I didn't apologize yet! I have to say sorry! Oh no this looks really bad, I can't believe I didn't apologize to him! What if he thinks I was glad that I did that? That'd be awful. Or even worse what if he thought I wanted to wreck his social life. He could hate me!

"What's wrong Lucy? Is something wrong?" He asked me. Is that the third time in the past hour he's read me like an open book? Are my emotions that exposed?

"It's just, coming back here... reminds me that I never... apologized...to you. I'm sorry Natsu!" I said, cringing in fear of him being angry. It seemed to have the reverse effect on him however.

"You look kinda cute when you're scared." He whispered to me while hugging me. Aside from making my cheeks heat up to the point where they felt like they were burning, I felt protected and relaxed by his hug. It felt amazing to be in his arms. To my happiness, we stayed like that for about a minute. When he let go, everything felt cold again.

"You know, you worry too much! I could never hurt you! And of course I forgive you! If I was mad at you, would I have invited you to spend the day with me? I like spending time with you! It's better than the gang, even though they're pretty fun too." He said. Well that just made my face turn even redder, if that was possible. So much for calming my blush down.

"You too Natsu. You're more fun to be around than my friends, even though they're pretty fun too." I said, mimicking the last part of his sentence.

"Hey look! That's Wendy's school up there!" He said, pointing to the end of the street where a private middle school was. Did he send Wendy to a private school? Wow, talk about giving her a great education!

"You can afford THAT school?" I asked him.

"Yeah, it's kinda expensive, but the public school is an hour and a half walk from our house, while this one is only 20 minutes. So Wendy goes here!" He said. Simple logic, it's just so Natsu. He spends extra money just so Wendy doesn't have to walk extra far to school or take the bus. Seriously, it isn't possible to find someone who is a better brother than Natsu. We were just walking towards the front entrance when we heard a name being screamed.

"NATSU!" Wendy shouted out before she started to run to Natsu. It looked really cute.

"Hey there Wendy! How was your day at school?" He asked.

"It was good. No tests today for me! And I don't have any tomorrow either!" She said excitedly.

"That's amazing Wendy! But guess who I brought today. Some little sneaky kid already met her though." He said playfully to Wendy.

"Lucy! It's you!" She said, jumping up to hug me. She whispered, "Thanks for getting him happy, I knew you could do it."

"Hey Wendy! I'm going to be spending the evening with you and Natsu!" I said, hoping that she doesn't get mad that Natsu is having someone over.

"Really? That's so awesome Lucy!" Wendy said. "Now we can play those games with three people! It'll be so fun because I can be-

"Hey slow down there Wendy. We can play after we finish our homework. It's still Thursday, you know?" Natsu said, ruffling Wendy's hair.

"Yeah yeah, whatever. We're still playing those games though." Wendy said.

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say Wendy." Natsu said.

If those two don't have the most adorable sibling relationship, I don't know who does. Natsu seems like a mix between father and brother, because he acts like a brother around her, but takes care of her like a father would. I really shouldn't have judged him that day. He's so sweet to everyone.

The three of us walked home, I was holding Natsu's right hand and Wendy was holding his left. We kind of looked like a teenage family, but that would be pretty weird because we're only juniors and high school and Wendy is in seventh grade. Wendy talked about her day at school, which involved a lot of this Romeo kid. She constantly calls him her _friend_ Romeo, but I think there's more to it than that. But I'm not here to play matchmaker, so I'll just leave them be.

When we got to the front step of the house, I wondered what the inside was going to be like. I didn't expect too much, but I was still curious. Design questions ran through my head and I found myself wondering if they had any art on their walls. I didn't get much time to elaborate past that though, because we just stepped into the house.

The house was rather normal. It opened right up into a small area for shoes with a kitchen right next to it. There was a bathroom on the left right after you opened the door. The kitchen was slightly smaller than average and had a dining table in it as well. Next to it was the family room I think. Natsu led me upstairs and there appeared to be two rooms and one bathroom. Natsu's bedroom was slightly larger than Wendy's, probably because it was the master bedroom, but I wasn't really sure. Natsu led me back downstairs after showing me the house. He said he was going to start on dinner, so I could sit anywhere really and do my homework. So I picked the small island that was next to the dining table, of course. That way I could watch him cook and talk to him while I do my homework.

"So Natsu, do you cook a lot of different things?" I asked curiously.

"A decent amount, yeah. I make Wendy's breakfast but the school provides lunch since it's like some fancy stuff. I do make dinners too. I'll make almost anything though. Usually if Wendy doesn't like it though, we don't eat it. Thankfully we have such similar taste that that isn't ever a real problem." He explained.

"So what are you making tonight?" I asked.

"Well I'm going to make spaghetti if that's okay. I've had the sauce here cooking all day so that's what I planned. But if you don't like it I can make something else." He offered.

"No no, it's okay. I like spaghetti. Besides I'm the guest in your house, I shouldn't be the one choosing the dinners." I said, hoping he didn't think I was that kind of rich person that needs everything right.

"Alright, Wendy says my spaghetti is really good. I've been actually making the noodles once I learned how to do it without making them." He explained. That kind of shocked me. Usually when people make spaghetti, they use the box of spaghetti that you can buy at the store. Natsu makes his own!? Just how good of a cook is he?

"Yeah it is _now_, but back when you first started, you burnt the spaghetti too you know." Wendy deadpanned.

"Shh! Don't tell Lucy that! That was six years ago! It's not my fault that I can't cook like a master chef at the age of ten!" Natsu said, defending himself.

I went to doing my homework, and about half an hour later, dinner was ready. Thankfully we didn't have much homework tonight because it was almost Thanksgiving. I hope they give us a break with that coming up so soon. Still, it's two weeks from today, so I don't know what they'll do.

Dinner was really tasty. Honestly, Natsu cooks as good as the chefs that my parents have hired. I mean he probably has a lot of experience after six years of making breakfasts and dinners, but still, that's pretty insane! The guy deserves a break! I couldn't imagine having to make breakfast and dinner everyday of the week for six years. I wouldn't have even had to do that when I was married! Unless I was married to some sexist pig like Sting...

After dinner, I complimented Natsu's cooking abilities and he told me he'd be back downstairs in half an hour because he had to do his homework. I said okay, and decided to check to see if I should leave. My phone read 8:20, so I looked out the window, only to see rain coming down hard. Like really hard. There's no way I could walk to school through the dark night in the heavy rain and then drive home. But what else could I do?

"Hey Lucy, you should probably tell Natsu you're gonna spend the night." Wendy said, signaling me to tell Natsu.

"Are you sure? I mean I don't want to burden any of you." I said, not wanting to sound like a freeloader.

"It's okay by me, and the way Natsu talks about you, he'd be more than happy if you stayed." Wendy said. Did she just say _'the way Natsu talks about you'_? That sounds so... romantic! But I doubt he cares for that. After all, I don't think I've done anything to conjure up those feelings in him. I headed up the stairs and knocked on Natsu's door. I heard the bed creak and some footsteps before the door opened.

"Hey umm, Natsu could I please spend the night?" I asked, nervously.

"You'd really do that? Of course! I was afraid that I'd have to ask you!" He said happily. Did me staying with him really mean that much to him?

"Alright, well thanks a ton. I just have to call my parents, okay?" I said. I downstairs into the kitchen and sat back at the high counter, before dialing home.

"Hey mom." I said into the phone.

"Lucy! We were wondering where you were! Are you okay? Do you need us to pick you up?" My mother said nervously.

"No, no, it's fine. I've actually spent the day with a friend, yeah umm...Levy." I said. Levy was a convenient excuse because my mother always knew Levy and I were best friends.

"Oh alright, well are you on your way home?" She asked me.

"No I can't mom. I'd have to walk through the rain to get to my car, so they offered to let me stay the night." I said.

"Alright, well just come home tomorrow after school, okay? Have fun at Levy's!" She said.

"Yeah, bye mom."

I hung up the phone, hoping she wouldn't catch the lie. I finished my homework not much longer after that, and Wendy, Natsu, and I played some games before it was finally time to go to bed. I wasn't sure if this was the best or worst part, but probably the best. See, Natsu...

...suggested that we share a bed.


	6. Chapter 6: Breakfast and Coca-Cola

**If you think this has turned into a fluffy story, I assure you there's more conflict to come! And fluff too, so don't you worry! This chapter is setting the stage for both conflict and fluff, so enjoy it! **

**I came up with this idea for a story when I was reading a different NaLu story where Natsu was a delinquent (I know I'm not the first, such unoriginality). Anyways, I wanted to see how I could make Natsu have a really bad title yet be a really good person inside. That's where this story came from. I also didn't want Lucy to be okay with him picking on little kids either.**

**Thank you NatsuL0ver and Candy5554 for the reviews! I really appreciate every review I get. Honestly, the success this story has had is the reason why I'm able to update so frequently.**

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I woke up this morning feeling drowsy. My bed felt weird too, I could have sworn that mine was wider than this one is. Did my parents change my bed again?

I rolled over to the right, because that's usually how I get out of bed. Not today though, today I hit something on my way out of bed. It felt weird, but when I realized it was another person I was feeling, my eyes jumped open. I immediately looked down to make sure my clothes were on and sighed a breath of relief when I saw that they were there. They looked different though. Not like mine at all. At least I didn't have sex with Natsu. I'm not ready for that and since he probably doesn't see me as more than a friend, I would not agree to do _that _with him.

Natsu! That's right! I spent the night at his place. Yeah I remember now! He asked me to spend the night because of the storm. And then he suggested we sleep in the same bed because it would be "easier for him to fall asleep". I was a little nervous he would take advantage of me, but then I scolded myself for not trusting him. Taking his past into account, I doubt he'd ever do something like that. Oh and the clothes! Well except for the underwear which was mine, he gave me a shirt and shorts to sleep in.

"Morning Lucy!" Natsu said cheerfully. At least I know he's not grumpy in the morning. That's a good thing because I can usually get grumpy.

"Hey Natsu." I said back, yawning.

"Well come on! It's Friday today. Last day of school for the week!" He said enthusiastically. He was right though, I always loved Fridays because I never had to do my homework. I could just wait a little while and do it later in the weekend. He got up and walked over towards the desk in his room, picking up something I couldn't see from this angle.

"Okay okay! I'll be up in a minute." I said, yawning.

"You can take a shower first, since you look like you need some waking up." He turned and faced me, "Here are you clothes, I washed and dried them last night." He explained. I didn't even think about that! Thankfully he did or I would have had to gone in the same dirty clothes again. Well, at least he's there for me. But I'm supposed to be the one there for him! I owe him for being such a jerk! I can't make him do these things for me when it's I who owes him.

"Thanks Natsu, but you really didn't have to do that." I said, hoping to prevent him from doing that again.

"It's okay, I do Wendy's anyways. One extra pair of clothes isn't that much." He said. Is he a brother or a father? He's responsible like a father but he acts like a brother. Oh Natsu, how you confuse me so.

I took a nice long shower to get rid of all the tiredness inside of me. I seriously hope I didn't use all the hot water because I was in there for a quite a long time. When I got out, I took longer getting dressed so that I'd look good in front of Natsu. I'm not going to stand out or anything, it's not like I'm trying to, but hopefully I catch him staring at me a few times.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, I felt like it had been forever since I entered it. I smelled something good and walked down to the kitchen. When I saw what was down there, I really needed to reconsider my method of making up for what I did to him...

"Hey Lucy, guess what! I made breakfast!"

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Did I ever tell you that Natsu made an amazing breakfast? Did I also tell you that I'm starting to fall for him? Well the starting part isn't true. I think it happened a while ago. I still remember those days before I got mad at him and I had that little argument in my head over whether it was or wasn't a date. That seemed like so long ago, yet it was just five days!

As we walked into school, I noticed that there was no way that wasn't going to be stared at. Anyone would have clearly seen it, and to my dismay, everyone did see it. I'm not embarrassed being next to Natsu, it's just all of those prying eyes looking at me like I'm really brave and stupid at the same time. It's so stupid though! These kids obviously have no idea who Natsu is, or what the hell he's like! Though, I'm a little glad. I'd be really upset if someone else found out his true self and hogged him the whole time. At least this way I'm the only one who gets to spend time with him. But before long, we had to part ways for classes, so I went to go find Levy. I needed to ask her a favor.

"Hey Lucy!" Levy called out to me, as I approached my locker.

"Yeah, what's up Levy?" I asked.

"How come your parents showed up at my house this morning?" Levy asked.

"Oh no. Please tell me you're kidding!" I said, pleading that this was just some kind of lie.

"No seriously, they showed up this morning, looking for you. My parents told them you weren't here, and they looked rather angry when they left. I'm glad I'm not you right now." Levy said.

"Are you serious?! Holy crap this is bad! I called them last night and told them I was going to spend the night at your place! They must have come to drop off some clothes or something!" I said, wondering why my parents would show up.

"So where exactly where you last night then if you didn't go home?" Levy asked suspiciously. She gave me that look that told me I was busted, and I bet the blush on my face didn't help either.

"I was at a friend's house?" I said, having it come out as more of a question than a statement.

"Which friend Lucy? Don't tell me you went out and lost your-

"NO WAY!" I shouted. Maybe a little too loud. "I'm not that kind of person! I told you I was at a friend's house! Not having sex with some stranger!" I said angrily. I really hope she doesn't think of me that way.

"Jeez, I was just kidding. But seriously, which friend?" Levy said, getting straight to the point. And then of course, my blush came back.

"It was...um...N-...Natsu's house!" I said, embarrassedly.

"Did he force you? Attempt to rape you? Seriously, are you hurt? Do you have an bruises? Feel any pain between the legs?" She said, asking questions. Although she didn't mean it, they kind of made my anger flare. How dare someone think of Natsu as a horrible person! He would never take advantage of me! And bruises? She has to be kidding. Natsu wouldn't hurt a friend in a million years.

"NO WAY! NATSU ISN'T LIKE THAT!" I shouted, maybe too loud. She winced, and I immediately regretted snapping at her. "Sorry Levy, just... a long week. I'm just upset that you'd suggest Natsu would act like that!"

"Well, I don't mean to be rude, but he is a gang leader. But seriously did you get it on last night?" Levy winked seductively.

"No! I did not! His sister was there! You can't seriously think that I'd do something after personally knowing the guy for five days! I'm not that desperate!" I said, defending my pride. "Besides, he is easily the nicest person I've ever met. Don't judge him until you know him, because he's really awesome."

"Really? You sure he didn't drug you?" Levy said doubtfully.

"What'll it take for you to believe me?!" I said frustratedly.

"I want to see for myself." Levy said boldly. "And uhh... protect me from him?" She added, not so boldly.

"Fine. Invite everyone to sit at lunch with us." I said. "Make sure they do too. We'll be sitting at Natsu's table. I'll show you he's actually pretty nice." I said confidently.

"O-OK-kay." Levy said, extremely nervous. I may have just scared the crap out of her. Oh well, she'll feel fine after lunch.

"Alright, see you then." I said, walking off to class.

* * *

After some seriously boring classes, my excitement for lunch reached its peak. Why? Because it's lunch time! And there's Natsu, sitting all by his lonesome self. He was happy though, and it seemed as if he was looking for something. Or someone, I figured, when he looked at me and gave away a smile that he found what he was looking for. I ran towards him and sat down across to him, much to the surprise of others.

"Hey there you are Natsu!" I said.

"I'm here. You look happy today!" He said happily. I swear, if I looked happy than he looked like he was on Cloud 9.

"Well you look even happier. What's got you in such a good mood?" I asked.

"Having someone who accepts me even though they know me entirely." Natsu said, as if it was obvious. Was I making him this happy? If I was, than maybe it won't be so hard to make it up to him.

"Jeez, don't you remember this certain someone who slapped you in front of your little sister?" I said, hoping to see if he honestly forgave me. Even though it sounded like I was trying to discourage his belief that I'm as good as he said, I want to know what he thought about the whole thing.

"As if I cared Lucy! All that matters is that you're here now right? And you promised you wouldn't do it again, so I don't have to worry about any slaps!" He said, as if it was some sort of reward to not be slapped.

"You're making me feel guilty, Natsu..." I said honestly. I felt a little uncomfortable talking about it. "Though, it's better to know you're not upset than to have you be."

"Of course I'm not! I'm so happy I could kick Gray's ass 20 times in a row!" He said happily.

"Well, anyways, have any plans for Saturday?" I asked.

"Not really. Like I said, the business is a lot less intense during the colder months." He said.

"Alright, want to spend the day together?" I asked.

"Sounds awesome Lucy! And of course I'll actually plan stuff this time!" He said happily.

"I understand if you don't, you're a busy guy." I said.

"No way, I didn't plan the last two, and that's not supposed to be how they go! I'm supposed to have something for you to do beforehand!" He said, trying to make me feel better.

"Fine. Just don't go too overboard. I don't deserve something fancy." I said, trying to keep him from planning the best day ever.

"Well then I might just have to do that." He said matter-of-factly.

Before I could respond, Erza walked up and sat down next to me.

"Hello, Natsu, Lucy." Erza said, extending her hand towards Natsu. "Name's Erza Scarlet." She said. She didn't sound afraid, but then again, she was never afraid of anything.

"Hi Erza, I'm Natsu. I guess Lucy told you about me, because I don't think we've met before." Natsu said.

"No we haven't. And yes, Lucy was indeed the one who told me about you." Erza confirmed.

"Alright, so welcome to the table I guess. You can tell your other friends they're welcome to come as long as they don't take Lucy away." Natsu said. Oh jeez, just what I needed, more blushing. I've done that a lot today, haven't I?

"Sounds fine. The others are a bit... afraid." Erza said embarrassedly.

"I would've brought my sister Wendy so that people would know I'm not so scary but she's got school today too." Natsu said. "Anyways, tell them I don't bite or something, otherwise poor Lucy would probably have been eaten alive by now considering how much time I've spent with her." I really want to tell Natsu to stop because it's so embarrassing, but I don't want him to get the wrong idea. I actually really like how he's bragging about how much time he spends with me, but my friends are worse gossipers than those people they put on TV.

"Alright, I'll go get them." Erza said, standing up, going to walk over to my friends.

"Jeez, what scaredy cats." I said, after she left.

"Yeah, no offense Lucy but your friends are kind of odd for being scared of me." Natsu said.

"They are, aren't they?" I agreed.

"Alright, Natsu meet Levy, Cana, and Juvia." Erza said, pointing to each while she said their name.

"Hey there." Natsu said.

"Umm... hi." Levy said, really nervous.

"Wait a minute, why's Cana afraid of Natsu? Can't she just like drink it away or something?" I asked.

"She has a hangover and wasn't in the mood for talking really." Erza said.

"Why are any of you afraid of talking to me." Natsu said.

"You are a gang leader after all." Erza said.

"But still! Lucy's not scared of me. And Erza you seem like the person who isn't scared of anything. I don't know what's up with Cana, but seriously! The only person I spend time with is Lucy, yet you seem to think I'm dangerous! She can confirm it, if you don't believe me!" Natsu said, trying to calm them down.

"It's true." I said. "He's the nicest person you could ever meet."

"If that's the case, well then there's no point of being afraid, Levy and Juvia." Erza declared.

"Juvia is afraid Gray will see Juvia with another guy and not like Juvia." Juvia said.

"Oh jeez, I don't think you have to worry about him." Natsu said.

And so, the lunch conversation began. I didn't get to fully talk to Natsu, but I talked to him more than anyone else. Plus he planned to meet up with me on Saturday, which is totally awesome! On the way out, I wanted a Coca-Cola but didn't really know if I wanted to get up and go get it. I voiced my laziness aloud and Natsu went up and got one for me.

"How'd you get him whipped so easily?" Levy asked, now not afraid anymore.

"I actually like it but at the same time I feel guilty because he's doing so much for me yet I haven't done anything for him." I complained.

"That guy's a definite keeper." Cana said. She's been going through boyfriends pretty fast, so I figured she knew what she meant. But it was too late for me to believe anything different because I've beyond fallen and admitted to falling for him.

"Yeah well I wish I had the guts to confess. But he's such an awesome person and I doubt he'd ever care for me like that." I said, complaining again.

"I don't know. Natsu bought you a Coca-Cola just because you complained. It's not even like you asked him. It's a small action, but it's a nice one too." Levy pointed out.

Before further complaints could be made, Natsu came back with a Coca-Cola in one hand and a sharpie in the other. What was the sharpie for? I don't remember seeing it before. Did he have to write something down to buy this?

"Bottom's up." Natsu said, giving a hinting smile as to what he was indicating. Don't tell me he wrote his...phone number on the bottom of that coke can! How sneaky, but clever! And this is so awesome! It might not be much, but having his phone number is really awesome! I turned the can over before anyone else could see it and made sure to add Natsu Dragneel to my contact list. I might as well set him to my favorites while I'm at it. I read the number off the can and typed it into my phone. When I was done, I quickly put my phone away and smiled at Natsu before opening my coke.

"You find something nice in that coke?" Cana asked. "You were staring at it in a weird way."

"N-no! N-not at all!" I said, all flustered. I saw Natsu smirking out of the corner of his eye.

A few minutes later, lunch was about to end, so we all headed back up to our own classes. Before Natsu and I parted ways we spoke about the weekend.

"I'll talk to you when I get home. Parents found out about how I wasn't at Levy's so it might be harder to get out Saturday. Don't worry though, I have a plan."

"Good, because I can't wait for Saturday to come." Natsu said. "Good luck with your parents."

Oh trust me, _I'm gonna need it_.


	7. Chapter 7: Parental Reactions

**Earliest written chapter all week. Started at 9:52pm. Aren't I just so amazing? I know, I know. Thank you.**

**You're all really awesome and the best! It's great to know that you guys are interested. But don't worry, this story still has a fair bit of story left in it. You can start worrying when we hit chapter 12 or something like that.**

**Thanks Maverickdm, bluerainst0rm, Ice and Thunder, NatsuL0ver, Candy5554, and the unnamed reviewer. Seriously you guys are pretty dang motivating and I can't thank you enough for reviewing! It's so awesome!**

* * *

I'm on my way home today. I found my car which had occupied the same spot for two days because I spent last night at Natsu's place. I was really nervous because my parents found out about me lying about having a sleepover with Levy. I honestly have no idea what they'll expect happened. Do they think I was out partying? Or losing my virginity? I don't know, but I hope they don't expect something too bad. My parents do often say I'm rebellious just like my mom.

As I began to drive, I realized that dad is definitely going to be pissed off. He doesn't like me sleeping over at friends' houses on weekdays to begin with, but since it was raining, he probably had no other choice but to go with it. I'll be lucky if he lets me out of this with some freedom left. I doubt I'm going to be allowed to spend my days after school however I choose anymore. Unless my mother steps in. Hopefully I could at least convince her.

Pulling into the driveway, I thought about how I could tell them that I was at Natsu's house without them getting all angry? It's obvious they know who Natsu is. Everyone in the town knows what Natsu represents because the gang is so powerful! Do they know that Salamander is Natsu though? That was only news on Tuesday. I figured that would be the best way to tell them, that I was at Salamander's house, because maybe it hasn't spread fast enough yet.

I stepped through the door and took my shoes off. My parents, recognizing my presence, immediately came to where I was. I sat down on a chair at the kitchen's island, while they stood behind it. Usually one of them is there to make a meal, but now they're there to scold me.

"Lucy." My father said coldly. "Where were you _really_ last night?" Straight to the point, huh? Good thing I thought this through.

"Well, I was at my new friend Salamander's house. He invited me over yesterday after school and when I saw the rain, he asked me to spend the night. I agreed, but since you didn't know who he was, I thought it was best just to tell you that I was at Levy's house." I explained. Crossing my fingers underneath the counter, I silently hoped that they didn't know who Natsu was.

"You were at DRAGNEEL'S HOUSE?" My dad said with so much anger, I could literally feel it radiating off him. "Don't tell me that you had sex with-

"OF COURSE NOT!" I shouted back. "He isn't like that! He has a younger sister you know!" I was fuming. Not only did they think I was off with some guy having sex, but they accused Natsu of being that kind of guy. Seriously? He would never do that!

"Do you know who Natsu Dragneel is?" My father said bitterly. "He is the quintessence of crime! I've told you several times about the Dragon's Roar Gang, have I not? And what do you do? Ignore me? That boy has easily committed more crimes than people twice his age! And you're off at his house, alone in the night! What were you thinking? And what else could you possibly expect from scum like that?"

"Don't you _dare_ call Natsu scum! First of all, you don't even know him! How would you know if he's pure evil? Secondly, if he really committed that many crimes, how come he isn't in jail yet? And lastly, he lives with his younger sister! You can't possibly expect him to attempt _that _with a 7th grader in a small house, can you?"

"He has a younger sister?" Mom said, sounding shocked. I only told her twice. "Is she nice? We should call child services! That poor kid is probably living in horrible conditions with absolutely no love! We need to save her!" Okay, I thought mom was going to help me out here. But that was probably the worst thing you could say to me right now. I will personally kill the person who dares separate those two!

"YOU SURE AS HELL WILL NEVER CALL CHILD SERVICES!" I screamed. "You don't understand a thing! Natsu is the best older brother you could ever have! If it weren't for him, Wendy would probably be dead by now! And don't you _ever_,_ ever_, say that a foster home is better than Natsu because he's the best guardian in the whole world! He works hard for her! He sends her to a private school because he sees potential in her! He works hard in his school! His grades are higher than anyone else's! And you know why? Because he wants to be able to afford a really good college for Wendy, that's why! He makes her three meals a day, three hundred and sixty five days of the year! He protects her when no one else is there! He doesn't have any servants to do his laundry! He does it on his own, for himself and her! He walks her to school! He puts himself in danger for her benefit! Natsu is the best older brother in the world, and if you _even dare separate those two, I will personally pack up and leave!_ And you want proof? Look at my clothes! Do they look like I wore them two days in a row? He stayed up late to wash, dry, and iron them! And before you accuse him or me of doing anything dirty, no, we did not! He gave me some of his own clothes to sleep in because he was washing mine! If you understood a thing about him, you'd realize that you're the ones who are wrong!" By the time I finished that, I was well out of breath.

"Don't you raise your voice at your mother!" My father said to me. I will raise my voice to anyone who dares say something bad about Natsu!

"Don't say anything bad about Natsu! You wouldn't understand the hell he goes through to make it by each day. The two of you don't ever have to worry about anything, but most people have huge problems in life! His are ten times worse than you could even imagine! Yet he smiles! He acts like a goofy kid! He doesn't sit around and mope like you'd expect! He makes other people feel happy when he's the one who needs happiness! He probably hasn't had a free day in years, because he's always busy doing something to make sure the people he cares about are okay!"

"I don't ever want you to be around him! You're spouting lies! That boy is probably taking advantage of you!" My father said.

"LIES!? He is not a liar! He's twice the man you'll ever be and he's only a third of your age! You think that he's lying? You think that he made up the fact that his mother _died_ when Wendy was born? He doesn't blame her and he constantly tells Wendy it isn't her fault! You think it's also a lie that his father left him with nothing at the age of ten? You know what I was doing at ten? I was having fun being carefree. You know what Natsu was probably doing? Figuring out why the hell the only person ever there for him just walked out without even telling him! He had to survive and feed two people and he's been doing that for six years now! Six years of that, even though he's too young to work! He's taken jobs that are more dangerous than anything you've ever done just to feed his sister! He learned how to run a business, he's responsible! You shouldn't be upset that I'm hanging out with him. You should be glad! Natsu is the most independent person I've ever met! I don't think you looked after your siblings the way he does when you were his age! I doubt you'd ever sacrifice your college education for a sibling when your grades are the same! Did you ever help your siblings with homework? Even if you did, was it every night?" I said, seriously needing a drink. My throat was drying up from my yelling and answers.

"He's the leader of a gang! His money probably comes from drug dealing! You can't trust someone who is that dangerous!" My father screamed.

"Dangerous? Are you kidding me! He's not in the gang because he wants to be! He joined it to protect Wendy! Don't you remember when I came home from school crying because some older kids almost beat me up? You know what happened to Wendy? She was beaten up twice! For no reason at all! Natsu did his best to protect her, but the only option he had was to join the gang because that would prevent them from going after Wendy! He's in the gang just to protect his sister! He doesn't do drugs, because Wendy would have said something about it and Natsu would be a lot more self-centered. And he doesn't make his money from the gang either! He works real jobs and has a clean record! Stop spouting these awful accusations about Natsu! He's so much better of a person than the both of you!" That last part may have been harsh, but seriously it was true. There's nobody in this world who I know that is a better person than Natsu Dragneel.

"Don't insult your parents like that! Do you understand what you just said? How can you be so nice to a delinquent like him?" My mother said. I seriously thought I could convince her, but I guess not.

"You know, I was just like you before. I found out Natsu's true identity and told the whole school. I wrecked the social life he had. He lost all of his friends, because I made everyone fear him. Even worse, I ignored him when he tried to apologize to me, when it should have been me apologizing to him! And when I finally do go talk to him, he forgives me like it was nothing. I destroyed the only acceptance he had and forgave me without the slightest anger or hatred toward me. You know who told everyone who Natsu really was? It was me! And I regret it, because he's really the nicest guy ever and doesn't deserve to be treated the way you treat him. You think he's some kind of scum, but he's a role model for anyone. People like Natsu make this world a better place, not the people who blindly fear him because he has a title. You should be ashamed for judging him without knowing who he is." I said. That's all I'm going to say to them. If they still don't let me see him, I'm going against their will.

"I don't care what you think of him! You cannot see Natsu Dragneel any longer! He's a bad influence on you! He's turned you against your own parents!" My father said. Really? That's all he can say? Bad influence because I don't listen to the shit they say? Are you fucking kidding me? They know he's not a bad person because they couldn't say it! But they still don't change their view!

I stood up, grabbed a soda and headed up towards my room. Before I left, I said, "It wasn't Natsu who turned me against you. It was your ignorance to the situation that did." I didn't wait for a response, I didn't want one. They'd probably just accuse Natsu of being a worse person than they already think! As if, he's seriously the nicest person I know!

So much for a fun Friday, huh? I'm still hanging out with Natsu on Saturday, I don't care what my parents say!

* * *

When I got up to my room, I quickly pulled out my phone and started a conversation with Natsu. I sent a text to him, in hopes he'd respond.

_"Hey, it's Lucy."_

I waited a few minutes, but when nothing came through, I decided to go do my homework. I went and grabbed my school bag out of the corner of the room and opened it up when my phone vibrated.

_"Hey there Lucy! Glad you texted me ~Natsu."_

Me: "You_ don't need to introduce yourself, I know who you are!"_

Natsu:_ "Good, I was worried you might forget! So what do you need?" _Always focused on my needs, aren't you Natsu?

Me: _"Well, I have some bad news. Apparently my parents found out I spent the night at your place and they're pretty angry." _

Natsu: _"Uh-oh. Can you tell your parents I'm sorry that I had you over? I didn't want to make them angry."_

Me: _"Well, they're more upset because of your name more than anything. After lots of my shouting, they said I couldn't hang out with you."_

Natsu: _"Sorry Lucy. I didn't mean to make you argue with your parents. And are you sure we can't? I really don't want to lose you." _Even though it sounded like he meant break up with me, I had to quickly reassure myself that that wasn't what he meant.

Me: _"Of course we can. I'm not listening to them. They wrongly accused you, so you shouldn't be sorry."_

Natsu:_ "I really want to, but I don't want to get you in more trouble with your parents. Are you sure?"_ I swear if I showed my parents this they would have no way of doubting that Natsu puts others' needs in front of his own.

Me: _"Don't worry, I can just say I'm hanging out with Erza. She hangs out with some guy from out of town on Saturdays so we'll both be out at the same time."_

Natsu:_ "You could do that!? That's awesome Lucy! You're the best! I'll meet you at noon in the park. I'd pick you up... but your parents."_ Sometimes, I'm convinced it's a date. It's such a romantic thing to do. The things I'd do to be his girlfriend just keep on increasing in severity.

Me: _"You're easily a better person than me and my parents, so that would make you the best! And I can't wait for Saturday! It's going to be so awesome!"_

Natsu: _"Says you! I must know you better than you do because you're obviously the best!"_ If I got a dollar for every time Natsu made me feel great, I'd be richer than my parents.

I heard my parents walking up the stairs and quickly texted: _"Got to go, parents coming. I still think you're better by the way."_

My parents ended up walking past my door without noticing but I still didn't want to take chances. They'd probably suspect me of texting Natsu, which I actually am right now. But I want to get my homework done today, even though it's a Friday, because my parents most definitely won't let me out of the house today. But first I need to let Erza know of my plan. I took out my phone again and went to a recent conversation and sent a message.

Me: _"Erza, I need you to tell your parents that you're going to hang out with me tomorrow."_

Erza, who responded almost immediately, said: _"Okay, but do you mind me asking why?"_

Me: _"Parents found out I was hanging out with Natsu and I want to have some excuse for leaving the house to hang out with him tomorrow."_

Erza: _"Alright, I will. Be careful with Natsu though."_

Me: _"Thanks! And Natsu won't do anything bad tomorrow!"_

Erza didn't send anything back, so I assumed that was the end of the conversation. I still had some homework to get to, so I put my thoughts about Natsu aside for the time being. Though that didn't stop me from wondering where he would take me tomorrow.

I really wish Natsu was my boyfriend. And maybe if I wasn't such an idiot, he would be. I'll make sure to tell him how I feel tomorrow. He should know, and maybe he might feel the same way. But I could just be getting my hopes too high. Would he want me though? What have I done to make him like me? I don't think I've done anything at all, but hopefully, just hopefully, he feels the same. It'd probably take a miracle, but I would do anything for that miracle.

I fell asleep that night and dreamt of Natsu and I being together. It was the first dream that I didn't ever want to end.


	8. Chapter 8: Spending a Saturday Together

**Yay Extra Chapter Day! Though this does offset the schedule by one day. In case you didn't know, I've been updating every other night, and Tuesday night is supposed to be the next update night, but I'll have a ton of homework tomorrow, so here's one a day early. Next chapter should be Wednesday night, by the way.**

**Thanks Rose Tiger, FanFiction10210, Crystal Stardust, Ice and Thunder, and Candy5554 for reviewing! Your reviews are a big reason why I decided to write a day early instead of a day late.**

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When I finally decided to get out of bed, I was overwhelmed with anxiety. It was now 10:00 in the morning and my da-hang out with Natsu is only two hours away! I'm supposed to meet him in the park today so I guess he wants me to wear something outdoor-permitting. I hope I don't wear something too formal for his plans because that'd be really awkward.

After a few minutes of searching, I finally found the perfect outfit to wear. I quickly grabbed it and headed towards the bathroom. I turned the shower on to a nice heat and stepped in shortly after.**  
**

Being in the shower gave me a few minutes to think about what was going on. Okay, I have to meet up with Natsu today, and spend the day with him. I just woke up from a dream in which Natsu and I finally got married after dating for six years and being engaged for three. It was probably the greatest dream I ever had, but I had to write it down so I wouldn't forget. I mentally reminded myself to do that before I left. Thinking about the dream made me blush, and I began to wonder if you could blush in your sleep. If so, then I probably had red cheeks throughout last night.

A few more thoughts passed through my mind before I stepped out of the shower. I quickly dried myself off, and put my clothes on. Brushing my teeth, I looked over myself in the mirror, to make sure nothing was out of place. When I noticed nothing, I quickly went to my room and wrote down that dream I had. It was definitely one I didn't want to forget.

I walked downstairs, noticing both my parents awake. My father was sitting at his computer in the kitchen table and my mother was at the kitchen's island, sitting and drinking something I couldn't see from this angle. When I came into the kitchen, they both noticed me.

"Good morning Lucy!" My mother said.

"Good morning mom, dad. I was wondering today, if I could go hang out with Erza. She's free today and we really want to go see this new movie that came out." I said.

"Sure thing. Have you told Erza yet?" My mother asked. Alright, so this was working.

"Yeah, I texted her yesterday. She said she'd love to." I answered.

"Isn't she usually busy on Saturdays?" My dad interrupted. "You said that she's always off seeing some out of town guy on Saturdays." Did he actually pay attention to that? While I'd normally love that he pays that close attention to everything I say, this one time I kind of wished he didn't.

"Well, she told me she was free today at lunch yesterday. Apparently her friend's car broke down and he's stuck where he is." I answered.

"Alright then, you're free to go. We just wanted to make sure you weren't out to see that Dragneel boy." My father said. Is it just me, or did it just sound like my dad was letting me out of prison? I don't really care though right now, my dad just let me free for the day to go see Natsu!

"Okay." I said before heading towards the door. Once I reached it, I said, "Bye mom, bye dad!" I closed the door behind me and went to my car. Quickly, I started the engine and drove towards the park. I arrived at exactly noon and parked on the street. I saw Natsu sitting on a bench and walked over to him. Hopefully he wasn't waiting too long.

He looked up at me and immediately smiled brightly. I blushed at his reaction to seeing me and it made me feel really good inside. I don't know what was with that smile, but when it was directed towards me, I felt like I was in heaven.

"Hey Natsu, sorry I kept you waiting!" I said.

"It's not a problem as long as I'm the one waiting for you and not you waiting for me." Natsu said.

"Well you shouldn't have to wait for me either!" I said back.

"Yeah, whatever. Anyways, are you hungry? It is about lunch time." Natsu asked. It was just then that I realized I didn't eat anything all day.

"A little, but not really. I could go for some ice cream." I said. Even though it was November and definitely not the right time to be eating ice cream, I've wanted to see Natsu's ice cream shop ever since I first heard about it.

"Are you just saying that because I own the place?" Natsu asked. Him reading me like an open book was reminiscent of Thursday. He has to have some knack for reading people.

"Maybe..." I said playfully, hinting that he was right.

"Well, if you insist on being one of the few people who visits my store in the cold weather, let's go!" Natsu said cheerfully. For some reason, I remembered the exact path he took. Had I been here before?

When we finally got to the shop, I immediately recognized it. I haven't been here in ages! Did Natsu really own this place? I stopped and stared at the building, it reminded me of my first summer in Magnolia.

I remember when I first moved here. It was just after middle school ended, and my parents thought that it would be the best time to move since I would be going to a new school regardless of where I lived. So my dad ended up taking us to Magnolia where we bought our house. In the first few weeks of the summer, I explored the town and this shop happened to be one of the first places I came to.

"Here's a Strawberry Ice Cream, I hope your taste buds haven't changed." Natsu said. Did he actually run inside and get me an ice cream while I was sitting out here and looking at this building nostalgically? Wow, he's either stealthy or I'm oblivious. It's probably me just being oblivious.

"You remembered my favorite flavor?" I asked. Strawberry was definitely my favorite. I remember getting it once a week from here all summer long.

"Of course I did! You were my favorite customer!" Natsu said happily. That's right! He was Salamander back then! "Heck, for some reason I told you that I owned the place that summer. You doubted me and then I explained everything to you. It was so cute watching you be so confused about how everything worked."

"Hey! Most kids don't run businesses!" I said defensively. "It was only right for me to be confused!"

"Yeah, but it was still really cute." Natsu said, causing me to blush again.

"Oh whatever." I said, hoping that would lessen the blush a bit.

"So what do you want to do now?" Natsu asked.

"I don't know. I'm glad you didn't just run off with me like last time." I said.

"Hey! I learned from last time! I have to wait until you finish your ice cream to start running!" He explained. In that case, I'm going to eat this ice cream really slowly. It's not like it will melt, since the outside temperature is basically enough to keep it frozen.

"So do you have a place in mind?" I asked.

"I don't know, maybe a movie? He suggested.

"Sure, I told my parents I was going to see one with Erza, and they're really suspicious about my activities since yesterday's fight." I said.

"Really, I'm sorry I made them get so crazily intrusive." Natsu said.

"It's not your fault. They shouldn't judge you because you're a really great person. They just don't understand." I explained.

"Maybe I can convince them somehow. But don't worry Lucy, I'll make sure to keep you out of trouble." Natsu said assuringly.

"Thanks Natsu." I said. "I really appreciate you looking out for me, even if you should be focused on yourself."

"I'll always look out for you Lucy." He said sweetly. Yes, I'd definitely take him as my boyfriend any day. He's just so sweet and caring that anyone would feel special just by being friends with him!

We chatted aimlessly as we walked towards the movie theater. Mostly about that summer before our freshman year. He said how he'd look forward to me visiting his shop on every Friday and that he always made sure there was enough strawberry. I noticed that he was slightly embarrassed about how much he enjoyed me visiting him, even if it was just for the ice cream. It made me smile to know that I liked him and not somebody who would treat me like trash. All I have to do now is confess, but when should I? I need to find the right moment. It would probably help convince him to say yes.

After seeing a movie, and Natsu eating a large popcorn, we walked out back into the daylight. My eyes had to adjust to the light outside, even though it was almost sunset. There wasn't much time until the sun went completely down.

"So Lucy, have anything in mind now. I have a place for dinner, but I want to wait until 7:00 P.M. so we have about three hours to kill." He explained. He's planning on taking me to dinner? Wow, how thoughtful of him!

"Well, it's almost sunset, and I was wondering if... we...could..um..walk on the beach." I suggested. Even though it's something you'd do in warmer weather, I figured it would make a great spot for a confession. Sunsets are extremely romantic after all.

"Okay, we can go to the beach. We probably won't see many people there either because nobody goes swimming at this time of year." Natsu pointed out. That's even better for my confession. The last thing I want is a bunch of people staring at me.

We started walking towards the beach. Natsu extended his hand out towards mine and I took it. The contact felt great, but I was too busy thinking about how I was going to confess. How should I act? Should I grab both his hands in mine? Do I say some really nice speech? What do I say? Does he even like me back? Am I pretty enough for him? What do I do if he says no? Would he still want to be my friend?

I don't want to risk losing him as a friend! But I can't go on seeing him everyday like this without telling him that I want to be more than friends. That would be absolutely terrible! I need to tell him, I have to tell him! But again, what do I tell him? Maybe I could tell him about how much I've enjoyed spending time with him and that I want to be his girlfriend. I need to think up something quick!

I noticed after about twenty minutes of thinking that we were arriving at the beach. Like Natsu guessed, it was empty. I cursed the movie theater for not being further away from the beach because I still didn't have anything to say. Then, we walked down close to the water, but not far enough to where our feet would get it wet. From the looks of it, the sun was going to set in about twenty minutes. I really didn't have much time.

Natsu noticed my nervousness, but he didn't seem to say anything. Maybe he thought I was afraid of the ocean or something?

"Wow, look at that!" Natsu said, pointing to the sun's orange reflection on the water. It looked beautiful. Perfect for a confession.

"Yeah, isn't it great?" I said.

"Of course! I always loved to watch sunsets when I was younger. Igneel would take me up to the roof of our house and we'd look out on the water and watch the sun set every night. That was before Wendy and I had to move out of course." Natsu explained.

"Wow, that sounds really awesome. This is actually my first time living near the coast, so I haven't really been able to watch the sun set over the water before."

"Well maybe we can every now and then. Especially during the summer when we both have more free time. It'd be great! The two of us could come to the beach and stay all day. We could watch the sun set together before we went home." Natsu said. I really loved the sound of that. But maybe we could go as a couple instead? It's the perfect time to ask him to be my boyfriend.

"Hey Natsu..." I said, pausing. "Do you...like..." I couldn't seem to get out the last of it. I was just so overcome by nervousness! It was just one word! One two-letter word that I used to describe myself all the time! But I couldn't say it. I just couldn't. Why couldn't I say it? Something was holding me back. It was the fear of him saying no and walking out of my life just as fast as he came into it. So I did the one thing I could think of. I chickened out.

"Do you like sunsets or sunrises more?" I asked, saying it quickly. I felt really awful inside for letting that opportunity slide, because there weren't going to be many others like it.

"Sunsets. I'm not usually awake for sunrises, and I like watching day become night instead of night becoming day." Natsu answered. That's exactly how I feel!

"Really? Same!" I said, trying to sound upbeat and happy. But inside I was hurting because I couldn't tell him how I felt.

At one point we climbed a lifeguard tower. We sat there hand-in-hand watching the sun set. It was the best sunset that I had ever seen in my entire life.

We talked about school and how our classes were going. Natsu expressed an extreme distaste in academics and said that if he didn't have to do it for Wendy, he wouldn't be doing it at all. I convinced him it was for the better because it meant that he could have a brighter future. He kind of agreed, but didn't seem too fond over doing well. I guess he really didn't like school, but I couldn't blame him. His personality completely goes against liking school.

He checked his phone after a minute of silence. The phone's screen was extremely bright because the sun had completely set by now.

"It's 6:30. We should probably head over to the restaurant now. Don't worry, it's not overly fancy. I know you don't like fancy stuff since you are so accustomed to it. I take Wendy here on Saturdays so I basically have a reservation every Saturday." Natsu said. Another amazing thing Natsu does for other people.

We walked together, very closely. Natsu had his right arm around my shoulder, which wasn't just warm, but also comforting. It made me relax as we headed towards the restaurant. We walked in just at 7:00. Or at least that's what the clock in the lobby said. Natsu seemed to know the waitress who was working at this hour. She was probably a few years older than Natsu and me.

"Ahh, Natsu you're back. No Wendy though?" The lady asked.

"Not this week. She's out with her friend Romeo." Natsu said.

"Well I think it's absolutely adorable. She acts just like I did around my husband when I was her age. She's going to date Romeo eventually." The lady said.

"Romeo is a good kid. At least I know he's not going to pull anything stupid with her." Natsu said.

"That's nice. Do you want your table by the window again?" She asked.

"Of course." Natsu said.

"Follow me then." She said.

Natsu signaled me to follow and we went up a staircase to the second floor. There was a lot of space here! She walked us over to a table in the corner of the building that offered a nice view of the park. The lights in the park made it an absolutely beautiful sight. I could just imagine coming here almost every week to eat and see something this incredible.

"So Lucy, do you like this place?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah, it's very nice! How'd you get such a good table reserved _every _Saturday?" I asked curiously.

"It's because we come here every Saturday. The staff here knows who we are and they like to sit us where we choose because we've been coming here almost every week for two years." Natsu said. "Wendy absolutely loves this place. She always bugs me during the few weeks we don't come here."

"Well I certainly wouldn't mind spending my Saturday nights here." I said.

"Maybe you could come every Saturday night too! That'd be super awesome!" Natsu said.

"I wish. My parents wouldn't let me though." I said, a little sad thinking about my parents.

"It's okay Lucy. We'll still have tons of fun together!" Natsu reassured me. He's always there to lift my spirits.

"Yeah, you're right! Forever!" I said.

"Forever!" Natsu said.

Natsu ended up eating a huge amount of food. He seriously eats like crazy! He ordered something that could have fed a family of four! I wonder if that's part of the reason why they like him coming here so much. That and his tips are pretty generous too. He definitely knows how to make a restaurant happy!

After the dinner, we got up and left. We were heading towards the park where my car was parked and all I wanted was some more time to spend with him. Today was absolutely fantastic and I wish it would have never ended.

"Lucy, we should definitely do more of these." Natsu said.

Without thinking, I responded to his question, "These what? Dinners? Movies? Sunset Watching?"

"No silly! These dates, of course! The last three were all really fun, well except the end of the first one. You slap hard Lucy!" Natsu said jokingly. I lost him at the word "dates" though. Did he just call the last three days we spent together dates? Does that mean this whole time he thought we were dating and I was nervous to confess?

It had to be! That was why he said he didn't want to lose me yesterday through text. Now that I think about it, he never really called me his friend. It was also probably why he suggested we go to the beach together in the future, just the two of us. And why he suggested that I join him for dinners. It all made sense now! Natsu thought we were dating, and I was too nervous to tell him I liked him!

I had stopped right after Natsu said the thing about dates. It shocked me so much I couldn't move. I was so happy, I was going to explode if I couldn't channel these emotions. So I did the one thing I could think of. I kissed Natsu. It wasn't my first kiss, and it wasn't the most romantic one I've ever had, but it was definitely the best kiss. I felt as if I was on fire. I poured all of my emotions into it, and when I felt him respond, it only made me happier. When we finally pulled away from each other, I wanted know why he thought we were dating.

"W-What gave you the idea that we're dating?" I asked curiously. "I really like you Natsu, but I just want to know why you thought we were dating before. I don't remember confessing to you. Did I talk in my sleep?"

"No. Don't you remember last Monday. You slapped me, and said, 'You're supposed to tell a girl you're an asshole before you invite them on a date!' Well, that kind of gave away the idea that you thought of it as a date. Then when you said in the cafeteria on Wednesday that we'd be just like we were before you slapped me. It made me think we were dating. Weren't we though?" Natsu said.

"Of course we were. You should have kissed me sooner though." I said.

"I didn't want to scare you, since you just broke up with Sting." Natsu said.

We had gotten to the car and I offered Natsu a ride. He accepted and we drove towards his house.

"How'd you know I broke up with Sting?" I asked curiously.

"Well, you remember how I met you in the ice cream shop right?" He asked.

"Yeah, I do." I said.

"Well when I found out that you were at my high school, I was overjoyed. I was going to be your best friend and then ask you out on a date. But you had gotten a boyfriend before I could ask you to be mine." He said. "Well, after you broke up with him, I was going to wait a few weeks before I asked you out. But then Sting came along and beat me to it. That's why I approached you the day after you broke up with him. I wanted to make sure you were mine before anyone else could come in and steal you from me."

"All this time, you've wanted to date me?" I asked curiously.

"Of course Lucy! That's why I asked you the first day after you broke up with Sting."

"Oh Natsu, if only you told me sooner. I wouldn't have wasted all that time with those other assholes! There's not a person in this world that I'd rather date!" I said.

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to give you space after your first breakup. But I realized since you were so beautiful, you got asked out by a lot of guys. That's why I didn't wait after you broke up with Sting." Natsu said. He thinks that I'm beautiful? Sting didn't call me beautiful once.

"You really think I'm beautiful?" I asked excitedly.

"More than anyone else." He answered.

"Oh Natsu!" I said hugging him. "I already like you more than I ever liked anyone else."

I dropped Natsu off at his house, waving goodbye, and drove myself home. While falling asleep, I thought about today, and I was so glad it turned out the way it did. Why? Because Natsu was my boyfriend and that's all that matters.


	9. Chapter 9: Natsu and the Heartfilias

**Disclaimer: I am not in any way trying to promote religion. I'm using it in here because I needed a way for Lucy to see Natsu with her parents on a Sunday, and church is one of the few probable locations. It's only a small portion of the chapter too, and I don't include any religious teachings. Like I said, it's just a way for Lucy to see Natsu on a Sunday.**

**Note: This Chapter is another reason why I should remove this story from the "Humor" section.**

**Thank you Ebony, Ice and Thunder, and Candy5554 for reviewing.**

**I don't know if it was planned or not, but Candy5554 managed to be the last reviewer on every chapter for four chapters in a row. Was it a coincidence? Or planned? I do not know!**

* * *

As I walked up to my room, I noticed just how tired and sore my body was. I must have shut out the aches while I was with Natsu, because they're in full gear now, and it really hurts. I managed to make it to my bed, but I didn't even bother changing into something more appropriate to sleep in. I fell on the bed and drifted off. A wave of comfort passed throughout my body as my sore muscles began to relax.

Quickly I fell asleep, with a smile on my face. Being such an incredible day, I was hoping that it would never end. Even though it did, I wasn't that sad. I ended up getting Natsu to be my boyfriend! The thought of it just made me smile. I finally found an amazing boyfriend! Natsu is well above anyone else that I ever dated though. None of them could compare to Natsu.

Thinking about how lucky I was, I drifted off to sleep...

The next morning, I was woken up by my mother. I forgot it was Sunday, and that meant Church. I was grumpy as usual because I still felt tired from yesterday, but I forced myself up out of bed. I spent the next half hour getting ready, which consisted of taking a shower, finding the right clothes to wear, drying my hair, and few other small things. I was really tired still, but that didn't kill my mood. At this point, I don't think anything could have.

We ended up taking my father's car to Church. Usually, it'd be mine that I travel in because since I started driving, I've basically gone everywhere on my own. I only really ever go in my father's car on Sundays. The car ride was in silence because it wasn't a long drive, probably only four or five minutes.

As we got there, we looked for an available spot on the street. When we found one, we parked and walked inside. As soon as we entered the front doors, I noticed Natsu right away. Did he actually come here every Sunday? How come I haven't noticed him? I saw him wave and immediately waved back. My parents noticed the interaction and were slightly confused. I could tell by the looks on their faces that they were hesitating between talking to him or just asking me.

"Lucy, who was that boy?" my father asked.

"He is my boyfriend." I blurted out. A whole second later I caught on to what I said. Of course they were going to ask for a name next!

"He looks nice. Invite him over for dinner tonight, if you can." my dad said. I don't know if I should be glad he didn't yell at me right now or upset that I know he's going to yell at me later. As soon as he figures out my boyfriend is Natsu, he's going to go absolutely nuts. He was only edge with Sting, but Sting was an ass. However, with Natsu, he has that reputation that makes him more feared than anyone else in this town.

"A-alright, d-dad." I said. My nervousness was showing in full colors now.

Already being afraid of tonight's dinner, I wasn't able to focus on anything around me for the day. I failed to notice that we were headed directly for Natsu's ice cream place. It wasn't until I got right out of the car that I saw the building in its full glory. More fear coursed through me as my father walked inside. Is Natsu here? Please tell me he isn't. He told me he doesn't work the story directly anymore.

"Lucy was that your boyfriend who just walked in that door." My father said pointing to the "Staff Only" Door. "Does he work here?" My father asked. Well, there were only two ways to answer this. Lie, say yes, and have my father think Natsu is some kind of futureless idiot or say no, he owns it, and have my father more interested in him. I figured having my father more interested in him would be better than for him to think Natsu had no potential whatsoever.

"No, actually he owns this place. He opened it up a few years ago." I said truthfully. "He's probably just checking up on things. I'm going to ask him over for dinner tonight if that's okay with you." My father nodded and I walked over to the door. Hopefully Natsu wasn't in there and it was just someone else who looked like him. But who else in this world had pink hair? Not anyone I knew.

Right before I got to the door, Natsu stepped out. He smiled brightly at my sight and I smiled back.

"Hey, um..Natsu?" I said quietly so my parents couldn't hear.

"Yeah what is it?" He asked.

"My parents invited you over for dinner, but they don't know you're Natsu Dragneel." I said.

"W-What?!" He said surprised.

"I'm sorry Natsu, I really am." I said, slightly frowning.

"It's okay, there's no need to be sorry. I'll be there Lucy, and I swear I'll get your parents approval. 6:00pm?" He said.

"Yeah! And thank you so much!" I said happily, kissing him on the lips quickly before returning to my parents.

I waved goodbye and as we walked outside, my parents and I eating ice cream that my dad bought for us, I told them the news.

"Okay, so I asked him and he said he'll be here tonight at 6:00. That's usually when we have dinner, right?" I asked.

With a nod from my parents and a smile from my mother, we headed back into the car and drove home. Time to prepare Natsu! About an hour after getting home, I called up Natsu. I needed to explain to him how to act and dress tonight. Quickly, I pulled my phone out and called the number. I got one ring... a second... and a third. Then I heard a voice from the other side.

"Hello, is that you Lucy?" Natsu asked from the other side.

"Yes, it's me. Listen, you need to know quite a bit of stuff before coming over here. My dad is really strict and if he doesn't like you, he'll go crazy." I said.

"But doesn't your dad already hate me?" Natsu asked. Good point Natsu. Now how do I fix that one?

"Yeah, but if you're good enough tonight and explain everything, I'm sure that it will all be okay. You trust me, right?" I said.

"You don't even have to ask, Lucy." Natsu said.

"Alright, first of all. You have to wear a suit. My father likes formal dinners, so be sure to wear something really nice. Make sure all of your buttons are buttoned, and that your tie doesn't have a large gap. My dad really hates that. Third, always use manners. Say thank you, Mr. Heartfilia, Mrs. Heartfilia, etc. Shake his hand, and make sure you don't grab it like your hand is a dead fish. He likes when you grip his hand because he makes it think you're tough. Fourth, use manners at the table. I know you don't like them, but they're still necessary when we're in my dad's house." I explained.

"That it? I don't want to miss anything." Natsu said.

"That should be it." I said.

"Oh and make sure you're ten minutes early! My father likes a guy who's on time." I said.

"Jeez your father is so picky. But I'll do it _for you Lucy_." He said before hanging up.

A few hours later, a knock was heard at the door. My mother went to go get it as I accompanied her to the door. Why? Because I knew it was Natsu. The time was 5:50 and I told Natsu not to be late. Good thing he wasn't, or else my father would have gone crazy. When the door opened, Natsu was there, smiling at me and my mother invited him in. He thanked her for inviting him over before saying hi to me. My father, who had probably been upstairs this whole time, came down and went to greet Natsu. He stuck out his hand.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Heartfilia. My name's Natsu Dragneel." Natsu said, shaking my dad's hand with a bright smile. At some point after that sentence, the name "Natsu Dragneel" registered in their brains and they jumped back. I stifled a giggle as I watched their hilarious reactions. Who knew the powerful Jude Heartfilia would be shocked by her daughter's boyfriend?

"LUCY HEARTFILIA!" My dad screamed. Uh-oh, I'm in for it now. "What is the meaning of this? Is this some kind of sick joke?"

Natsu stepped between my father and me and pleaded rationally. "Please, Mr. Heartfilia, don't get mad at Lucy. She didn't do anything wrong."

"She's dating you, that's what's wrong!" My dad said, enraged. My mother was giving me a glare, but it was a lot less severe than dad's.

"Sir, please. I was the one who asked her out. It's my fault, if anyone's, that we're dating." Natsu said, calmly.

"Are you implying you forced my daughter to date you?" My dad said enraged.

"NO!" I screamed loudly. "I wanted to date him as much as he did."

"Couldn't you have gotten someone normal. What was wrong with Sting?" My father said angrily.

"He was an asshole who cheated on me, that's what was wrong with him!" I shouted at my father.

"At least he wasn't in a gang!" My dad screamed.

"Umm... Actually, Eucliffe is one of my best friends from our gang." Natsu interjected. My dad absolutely lost it there. "He's pretty awesome if you're a guy, but he's a player to the girls." That second part sounded about right to me. I didn't like to think about him.

"NONSENSE!" My dad screams. Before he can scream some more, my mother put a hand on his shoulder.

"Why don't you take them into the living room and let them explain everything. I'm sure Natsu is trying hard if he's wearing a suit to your dinner invitation." Layla said calmly. Finally she takes my side! That took such a long time!

My father nodded calmly, and we walked over towards the living room. Natsu and I sat down on the couch next to each other, my hand resting on top of his, which was resting on the couch. He looked at me and smiled, probably because I was giving away that I was afraid.

"Natsu Dragneel." My father began, "Why are you here?"

"Well..." Natsu began. "Earlier today, Lucy told me that you wanted to invite me over for dinner. So I came over here and now I'm here." Natsu said simply.

"That's not what I meant. Why are you dating my daughter? What are you trying to get out of her?" My father said.

"Love and affection is the only thing I want from your daughter. I'm dating her because I've liked her for a long time now, and she happened to like me back." Natsu said. He was pretty good at answering these questions.

"How did you meet her?" My father asked.

"It happened years ago." Natsu said. "I had just opened my ice cream shop and Lucy was one of my first customers. I met often with her that summer and we would spend time talking after I closed up the shop. After the summer ended, it was almost as if she vanished from my life. I ran into her again on Monday at school. If you didn't know, I used to be disguised as Salamander, but since people have since found me out, I don't hide my identity anymore. Lucy and I spent the next few days together, and one night at my house with Wendy." Natsu explained. He left out the part about me being a jerk to him, much to both my gratitude and shame. I would have loved to have forgotten the whole thing, but Natsu probably couldn't forget those parts.

"Why do you want to date my daughter?" My father asked.

"In short, she's perfect. She's the nicest, most forgiving person I know. She rarely holds a grudge and she is determined to make other people happy. Her personality is absolutely amazing, there's not a better one around. I'm sure you've noticed, but she's also extremely beautiful. I haven't seen anyone as beautiful as her before. She has the brightest smile that makes happy no matter how sad I possibly could be. She's smart, she's caring, funny, easygoing, and most of all she treats me like a normal person. She's nice, but she has that feisty side to her. If you get her angry, she doesn't submit, she fights back. People don't go near me anymore, but Lucy, she was different. She became my best friend after everyone else ran away." Natsu said. To get an explanation like that from your boyfriend is probably the greatest feeling I have ever felt. And the fact that it was Natsu who said that made it even better.

"Did you pressure her into anything?" My father asked

"You can ask her this afterword if you don't believe me, but no, I would never do a thing like that to Lucy. Lucy should be able to make her own choices without having someone their who forces them to do something she doesn't want to do." Natsu said. Sounds a lot like you not liking Natsu, dad. It's my choice to date him, can't you just accept him? Hoping things were getting better, I waited for the next question. What I heard was heartbreaking, however.

"You understand that I'm not letting you date my daughter regardless of what you say?" My father asked.

"Mr. Heartfilia, I can't do that! There's not another girl in this world who could take Lucy's place! I want to date her and only her! I'll do whatever it takes! I'll go against everything you say if I have to! There's not a way in this world that you could keep us apart! I'm not letting her go, not because you said so! I'll stay with her, I'll fight for her. I don't care what anyone else says, I'm going to be Lucy's boyfriend for as long as she lets me!" Natsu said. Although he retained enough of his manners, he had started to get angry. I didn't think he'd last this long. He must have been trying really hard.

"Be quiet! You know well enough that you cannot do that! She is my daughter and I will decide who she can and cannot date!" My dad said angrily. Don't I get a say in this? I could have sworn this was my life we're talking about here. Not my father's.

"Then why can she date some player like Sting but not me? I've tried my hardest to get her to like me. I finally agreed to get her to go out with me, and you stop me just as soon as I get my happiness! For two years I watched her with other guys, having fun and being happy! It was hell and there's no way I'm going through another year of that! You listen and you listen well, I'm not going to give up on Lucy until the day I die!" Natsu said angrily. I've never seen him so angry before. I wonder if he has more of a rage than my father. He's certainly better at controlling it than my father is though.

"Because you're the epitome of scum! You lead a violent group that terrorizes the town and almost beat up Lucy when she was younger! Your organization something vile and cruel! You've done so many evil things in your day! You're a delinquent, and you're no good. I will not have my daughter date someone of such low standard!" My father shouted back.

"Low standard!? I am not low standard! I may not be good enough for Lucy, but I assure you I'm the closest damn thing to it! I started working at the age of ten! I had to do jobs that caused people to lose fingers and hands! It was dangerous! And when I finally did open a shop, I had to spend all my free time managing it because I had a little sister to feed and watch over, a small house to keep clean, bills to pay, and schoolwork to do! My life has been full of activity and I have not gotten a single break! Trust me when I tell you that I've experienced every single feeling there is out there. I know how to make Lucy happy, and I know what makes her sad! I can keep her from feeling bad, and I assure you that I will not stop until she smiles!" Natsu screamed angrily.

"What kind of future could you possibly give Lucy? You work menial jobs and own a small store! That's not a future that Lucy deserves. You are in no position to go to a college and earn a large sum of money to keep her happy!" My dad hollered.

"Money doesn't buy happiness! You can't expect her to be happy just because she's rich! Tell me Jude, has she cried at least once while she's been alive? Did the money buy her happiness back? No. It didn't! Because money doesn't make you feel good! Also, I have several AP classes as well as honors! I've taken the most difficult courses I can! But you're right, I can't go to college, because someone has to pay the bills for Wendy! I can't go off spending money on a school that I can't afford and leave my little sister here to rot! What kind of person do you think I am?" Natsu screamed.

"You're in a gang! A criminal organization! You commit crimes on a regular basis for recreational purposes! You're a vandalist, theft, and a mugger! You are a horrible person! You can't see my daughter because I don't want her exposed to this kind of thing!"

"I am not a horrible person! You can ask Lucy yourself if you don't believe me! I joined that gang to protect my sister! She was beat up by the gang twice! And I fixed the gang so that it doesn't do the horrible things that it planned on doing! It's not mine either! I don't have anymore control over it than the next guy! Just because I'm trying to protect my sister, I get labeled as a horrible threat to society! I'm fucking sick of it! The only person in this world who doesn't look at me like I'm some three fucking headed demon from hell is Lucy! She's the only person kind enough in this world of fucking ignorant people to respect me for who I am! She looked beyond who I was! And a girl like that doesn't just fall out of the sky! Lucy is unique and special, and I don't give a damn if you kick me out of your house for good, if you place a restraining order on me, or if you even try to hire someone to attack me! I'm not giving up Lucy no matter what you do!" Natsu screamed angrily. This needs to stop, if it doesn't, Natsu is going to seriously hurt someone.

"QUIET!-

"NO! SHUT THE HELL UP!" Natsu screamed, running out the front of the house. I quickly followed him out the door and screamed for him to wait up. Natsu heard me and turned around.

"Natsu please, wait a second. I'm not asking you to go back inside." I said, hoping he wouldn't turn off and run.

"I didn't ask to be born... Why did all of this have to happen to me?... What did I do to deserve losing my parents?... Why doesn't my father love me?... Did he have to leave me?... Why am I the one with this burden of raising a little sister?... Is it even worth going on at this point?... The only girl I ever loved has a father who doesn't want me near her... I finally get some happiness just to have it taken right away... I can't seem to make one friend... The only person who ever cared about me was you Lucy. You and Wendy. You and Wendy are all I have in this world... Would you miss me if I was gone?" I looked up to see the tears falling down his cheeks. Sadness etched in the looks he gave me and the things he said made me begin to cry too. It may have been the worst love confession ever.

In an act of comfort, I began to hug him. I whispered to him, "Don't say things like that Natsu... I care so much about you... I promise I'll never leave you. I'll be with you forever Natsu. I love you too. And I don't care what my father says. If we have to run, so be it. It's always more fun when we're together. I couldn't imagine my life without you. So please, don't attempt suicide. I don't want to lose the person I love just like that. I need you more than you realize Natsu. I need to know that you love me every morning when I wake up. I dreamed about you and I being together for some time now. I pictured you and I together, facing life side by side. I want that future Natsu. With us facing the world, together. So please Natsu, don't do this to me."

"L-Lucy. D-Do I really mean that much to you?" He asked.

"You mean the world to me, Natsu." I said.

"I've waited so long for you to say that Lucy. Countless nights of thinking about you and your other boyfriends. How I wish I could have been them. And now I am them." He said, his voice losing sadness.

"No. You're not them. You're so much better than them." I whispered. "Most of them only dated me for my body. You're probably the first guy to see me as I am."

"Thank you Lucy. Thank you so much." Natsu whispered. I smiled.

"It's going to be alright... as long as I'm here Natsu, you'll always be loved." I said.

"I know." He whispered. "And so will you."


	10. Chapter 10: Sleepy Sunsets

**Thanks for adding this story to the community Gotta Love NaLu. I don't go looking to submit mine to communities, if someone thinks that my story is good enough to be in one, I think that's awesome. I'm guessing it was bluerainst0rm who added it, and if so, thank you very much!**

**Just watched the recent Fairy Tail 2014 that came out today (episode 23), and I absolutely loved it. I knew there was going to be a bunch of NaLu, but they seriously spiced it up. If you haven't seen it, seriously go do it right now!**

**Also, as of this Chapter posting, it will no longer be categorized in Humor, but instead Drama.**

**Lastly, and most importantly, you never cease to amaze me. 15 reviews last chapter! Holy crap, that was crazy! Thank you so much SnowAngelSlayerTasha, mariah carmichael.3, Nerdygirl122, Rose Tiger, The Silver Soldier, bluerainst0rm, xxRylxx, NatsuL0ver, KitAlbert07, Ice and Thunder, Candy5554, amulet2579, rinwright, and the unnamed reviewer.**

* * *

I stood there for minutes, and he did too. I didn't want to let go, afraid that I might never be able to hold him again. So I clutched onto him as tightly as I could and brought him close to me. His presence was extremely comforting and calming, and I really was glad I could be there for him. I don't know if anyone was watching, and I don't really care. All that mattered was that I was there for Natsu when he needed it most.

I took Natsu's hand in mine and slowly undid myself from the hug. We continued walking down the driveway and sat down on the curb of the road. I leaned myself up against him and had an arm wrapped behind his back. He did the same, and we sat very close to each other. It was extremely relaxing and it made me feel amazing.

"Don't worry Natsu. I'll convince them somehow, I promise." I said reassuringly.

"Thank you Lucy. I'm sorry I couldn't do it on my own." Natsu said, thankful yet apologetic.

"Don't look so down Natsu! Where's _my _Natsu? The one who makes me laugh and smile all the time, the one who I fell in love with." I said playfully.

"I'm right here Lucy!" Natsu said, somewhat happy.

"You're not happy enough! You're still not the Natsu I love!" I taunted.

"I'm always the Natsu you love!" He defended himself.

"Oh yeah? You sure about that? I think you might need a little bit of _this_!" I said, leaning forward to tickle him. Luckily for me, he actually was ticklish, and so I tickled him for a good minute before he regained his composure. When I stopped, he had a smile plastered on his face and looked just like the Natsu I knew. The two of us sat back up on the curb and faced the road.

"There you are, that's the Natsu I know!" I said. His smile grew at my statement.

"Lucy, you won't leave me, right?" Natsu asked.

"Of course not, I couldn't ever leave you." I said.

"It's just that I depend on you for a lot of support, but you... you don't really need anything from me." He said.

"I need you more than you would think! Natsu, ever since you came into my life, it's been a million times better. I don't ever want to imagine myself leaving your side. Maybe I'm crazy, but I need you a lot more than you think. You convince me that there's a light at the end of the dark tunnel. Natsu, you're my effulgence. You're the fire in my heart. I need you, Natsu. So don't think I'd ever leave you." I said.

"That's funny Lucy, you see... I think of you just like that too. You're my light, Lucy. I was just afraid someone better would take that light away from me." Natsu said.

"There's no one better than you, Natsu. And even if there was, I'd still want you more. I'd never run away from you, ever. I promise. I don't care what my father says, you're a better man than him or anyone else." I said happily.

"Good, because I'll never leave you." Natsu said.

"Do you just want to sit out here for a little while and chat?" I asked. Honestly, anything to unwind the previous five minutes would be nice.

"Sure, that sounds nice. Anything in particular you'd like to talk about?" He asked. I shook my head and he just smiled. I yawned a little, and he pulled me closer. I felt the warmth emanating from his body into mine. It was so relaxing, I felt as if I could fall asleep. I snuggled in closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder. We watched the sun set in the field across my parents' house. I remember when I was younger I used to complain about not having a neighbor, but now I was glad. Just sitting here and watching the sun set was an amazing sight to see. I smiled and stared out into the field, watching the sun set.

"Umm Lucy?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah Natsu?" I said softly.

"You sure you don't want me to help convince your parents?" He asked.

"No... it's okay Natsu..." I said softly.

"You sure? I don't want to have you deal with them alone." He asked.

"Yeah." I responded.

I went back to watching the sun set. A little riskily, I fell forward onto his lap. I looked up at his confused face and giggled. He smiled back, and we just sat like that for a while. I stared into his eyes, and he stared down into mine, and for the first time, I knew what true love felt like.

It was... _alluring..._

* * *

I don't remember much after that. I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I was being held by two strong arms. I was slightly rising and falling, so whoever was carrying must have been walking. I opened my eyes and saw that there was no sunlight left in the sky. I turned my head to the left and saw the person holding me up. I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"You finally awake, sleepy head?" He said.

"Yeah, but not for long." I said.

"That's good. You'll be rested for school tomorrow." He said softly.

"Natsu, where are we?" I asked.

"On our way inside. You can go back to sleep if you like." He said calmly.

"Inside? How are you going to get there?" I asked curiously, never taking my eyes off of him. His stayed on mine too.

"You think your parents will let you stay outside asleep at night? Hate me or not, they'll let me in just to put you in bed." He said.

"Yeah... I guess so." I said, yawning.

"Well, here's the moment of truth. We're at the door right now." Natsu joked. I giggled slightly, still looking at him. He smiled reassuringly at me, and then proceeded to bang his head on the door. It made me giggle because he was being so silly.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked.

"Well I wasn't going to put you down. You look so tired." He said. I heard the door unlock and open.

"You should have put me down. I don't want you to risk injury because of my sleepiness." I said.

"It's fine, I know my limits. You shouldn't worry yourself." He said, smiling down at me.

"Uh.. yes?" My father asked. I swear if he tries anything malicious towards Natsu I'm going to yell at him.

"Well, Lucy fell asleep outside when we were sitting on the curb and I was wondering if I could bring her to her room." Natsu said.

"Can't she get there herself?" My father asked. Jeez, so much for taking care of your daughter.

"She's rather sleepy, and she'll have an easier time falling asleep if I carry her up there." Natsu said.

"Alright, go ahead." My mother interjected. I looked over to her and she smiled sweetly. I think mom has already accepted Natsu.

"Thank you." Natsu said. He entered the house and walked up the stairs. He looked at me with a soft, smiling gaze while he occasionally glanced up. He got to the top of the stairs and asked me where my room was. I indicated which door it was and he walked me over to it. He gently laid me down in bed, and then pulled the covers back. He placed them over me and gazed into my eyes softly.

"Thanks Natsu." I said, feeling extremely relaxed in my bed.

"It's the least I can do for you." He said.

"I would be happy even if it was the most." I said.

"Hey Lucy?" Natsu asked.

"Yeah?" I said acknowledging his question.

"I love you." He said.

"Me too." I whispered softly. He leaned over and kissed me on the lips. All too quickly he pulled away.

He smiled that special smile that made me feel all warm inside. He whispered, "Good night," and walked out the door. I saw him a few minutes later, except this time, he was in my dreams.

* * *

When I woke up, I was extremely happy. I had gotten a lot of sleep and my dreams of Natsu were amazing. They weren't perverted or anything, but they were romantic and cute, things that I'd love to have happen in real life. I had more energy this morning than before because I fell asleep earlier and Natsu carried me into bed last night. I have to remember to thank him for that, because he must have been carrying me for quite a while.

After getting ready, I grabbed my stuff and went to leave. When I walked downstairs, both my parents were awake and sitting in the kitchen. Usually they're not, but I'd imagine they're waiting for me and that's why they're up today. My father looked discontent while my mother offered no emotions. I wasn't sure where this would go, but I doubted it would be anything positive.

"I hope you cut your ties with Mr. Dragneel yesterday." My father said.

"Nope, actually they only grew stronger." I said, happily. I knew where he was getting with this.

"Lucy! Do you not remember what I said?" My father said angrily.

"I do, it's just that Natsu and I won't let anything get in between us, even if it's you." I said confidently.

"As long as you live in this house, then you will not date Natsu!" My father said angrily.

"Then I'll live with Natsu. He said he'd take me in and he'd be able to afford my college tuitions." I lied. Natsu would probably do that, but I'd never make him. That'd be extremely unfair.

"What kind of relationship would you have then? You'd be far away from each other all the time!" My dad said.

"It'd sure be a whole lot better than what you're proposing!" I said angrily.

"Lucy-

"Father, I'm not discussing this with you anymore. Your misunderstanding of Natsu leads you to believe in some awful rumor. If you try to keep me away from Natsu, I'm going to move out. All I need to do is pack my bags and move in with Natsu." I said proudly.

My parents looked shocked, honestly I would have been too if my kid said she wanted to move out. But in this case, I feel like it's best decision to make. Natsu is the first boyfriend I've had that hasn't played with my heart, and I know he's nothing like the rest. He's special, he treats me like I'm an equal, sometimes if I'm better than him. He makes me feel special, and that's something that most people cannot do.

"If you'll excuse me, I'm going. I may bring Natsu over again sometime soon, so I expect you to receive him better this time." I said confidently, before walking out the door to my car. I drove myself to school happily, thinking about how I finally stood up to my father. It took a lot of guts, but I know Natsu needs me to do that if I can stay with him. Sometimes my father just doesn't see the good in people because of his blinded view of society.

I walked up to my locker and saw Levy. I greeted her with a wave, and told her to sit with me at lunch again because I had a special announcement. She nodded and went off to wherever her class was. I went to mine, and that was that.

It felt like an eternity had passed before lunch came. I was awfully bored in most of my classes, thinking about Natsu. Natsu this, Natsu that, everything Natsu. It was some sort of strange obsession that I had as a result of being his girlfriend, but knowing that he was mine was an extremely satisfying feeling. I'm glad that Natsu is mine and that I'm his. He's brought sunshine back into my life.

Finally, it was time for lunch, and I almost sprinted down to the cafeteria. I was so excited to tell everyone of Natsu's and my relationship. I must have had the biggest smile on my face because Natsu smiled back an extremely large grin. It was so captivating I stopped for a second to look at it before I kept going.

"Lucy!" Natsu called out to me. I love the way he says my name.

"Yeah Natsu?" I asked.

"What's got you so excited today?" He asked.

"Well you of course, Natsu! Who else could make me smile like this?" I said happily.

"How romantic." Cana butted in sarcastically.

"When did you get here?" Natsu asked.

"Same time as everyone else." She said, signaling the other girls sitting at the table.

"Well, I-um, have an..uh..announcement." I said nervously.

"Yeah, what is it?" Levy asked.

"Natsu and I are d-dating!" I said, hoping they'd react positively.

"Really now? Lucy falling for the bad boy?" Cana teased playfully. "What happened to the innocent girl we knew?"

"Hey!" I said embarrassed. "I-It's not like that! Natsu's the sweetest person ever!"

"To you maybe." Levy said. "To us, he's scary."

"To you, he's scary." Erza corrected. "I'm not afraid of Natsu and I doubt Cana is either."

Levy didn't respond, and that was a dead giveaway that she was still afraid of Natsu. I could imagine her with some guy twice her height with a whole punch of piercings and a passion for music. Yeah, that'd be really funny if that was who Levy ended up with. For the rest of lunch, we talked mindlessly about our weekends and I shared my experiences with Natsu and the date as well as the visit to my parents. They pointed out to me that I spent basically my entire weekend with Natsu, which I guess I did, and maybe that was why I loved this weekend so much. Except the part where my father doesn't let me be with Natsu.

After school, Natsu and I met up in the front of school. He was a little nervous of what I had to deal with at home.

"So, Lucy, did you manage to convince your parents?" Natsu asked.

"Yup! I didn't give them a choice! So we're all good now, Natsu!" I said happily.

"Really? Thank you so much Lucy. You don't know how happy you've made me." Natsu said.

"And neither do you, Natsu!" I said back.

"Happy enough to fight for?" He asked.

"Happy enough to win a war for!" I said proudly.

"Good, because I wouldn't want it any other way." Natsu said, rubbing the top of my head. I slightly blushed before I thought of something.

"Hey Natsu, come over after school tomorrow, okay? We can meet up with my parents and you can talk it out, okay?" I said smiling.

"Sounds great Lucy!" Natsu said happily. "And do I have to wear something nice?"

"Nope, since my dad has no choice but to accept you, I don't really mind what you wear." I said.

"Don't worry, Lucy, I'll definitely do my best for you. I'll make sure nothing tears us apart!" Natsu said reassuringly.

"Never!" I said back.

We walked in our own directions after that. I went to my car, got in, and drove myself home. I wondered if my parents would be mad at me right now. I bet they would, but I don't care anymore. I'm inviting Natsu over tomorrow for the dinner we were supposed to have yesterday. I got out of my car and walked inside. It seemed eerily quiet. Why weren't my parents waiting for me to get home? They don't ever back down on anything they don't have to, so something must be getting them worked up enough to not come reprimand me.

I peeked into my dad's office, listening, but unable to see clearly. From what I heard, there was something about a business deal going on. It didn't sound so great because mom was in the room and mom doesn't ever go into dad's business stuff unless it's urgent. Whatever it was, it had to be serious. I listened in for a few more minutes, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was being said. Unfortunately, I didn't. Not until I turned away.

"...the Oración Seis are trying to steal our company." My father said. "They're coming tomorrow."


	11. Chapter 11: Gang versus Gang

**Well, conflict is definitely back. I like knowing how my stories end before I start them because then I can include little facts about things related to the final chapter.**

**Don't you remember in Chapter 1, when I mentioned how the Dragon's Roar gang took out Oración Seis? Cool stuff, huh?**

**Thanks MariahlovesFairyTail, Rose Tiger, Ice and Thunder, Candy5554, amulet2579, bluerainst0rm, and the guest for reviewing!**

* * *

I wasn't exactly sure of the seriousness of the Oración Seis. All I remember is that they were some sort of gang that was defeated by Dragon's Roar. But wasn't that years ago? It's weird to think there's a company of the same name! I wonder how Natsu would react to hearing that.

I didn't think about much else, except Natsu coming over tomorrow. I wonder how my parents will receive him this time. I did tell them to expect it sooner than later, but I hope that tomorrow isn't bad since the Oración Seis guy is apparently coming over now. I'll do my best to prevent any tension between the three of them. I can tell clearly that my parents are unwillingly accepting Natsu.

I fell asleep anxious for the next day. When I woke up, it was still fresh in my mind and I wanted to rush to school to tell Natsu about it. I hope we don't have to reschedule him coming over. I was really looking forward to today! My parents might finally come to understand Natsu as he truly is!

I hurriedly got ready for school and drove slightly faster than normal. I ended up at school earlier than normal and went looking for Natsu right away. He didn't show up for fifteen minutes, but I honestly couldn't blame him. I got to school a whole hour early!

"Hey Lucy!" Natsu called out to me.

"There you are Natsu!" I said happily.

"Were you waiting for me? You should've told me, I didn't want to make you wait! I'm sorry Lucy!" He said apologetically with concern in his voice.

"It was only fifteen minutes, and besides, you don't have to apologize when I never told you that I wanted to meet up with you." I said.

"Okay Lucy. I just don't like the idea of you waiting for me to show up. It reminds me of the time I waited for Igneel to come back and he didn't. So that's why I don't like when you wait for me. I don't want you to think I'd jump out of your life like that." Natsu explained with a mixture of emotions.

"Anyways, you okay to come over today? I understand if you don't. It was only two days ago that my parents got mad at you." I asked.

"I don't care. It means I get to spend more time with you, so why should I be upset?" He asked.

"Thanks so much Natsu! I know it's hard, but trust me, we'll come to terms after school today if they're available." I said.

"What do you mean if they're available? Are they going to be out today?" He asked.

"Apparently something about the Oración Seis company meeting with my father. I don't know exactly what's going on but I assume it'll keep them busy." I said.

"Oración Seis?" He asked. His expression suddenly turned serious. "Promise me you won't leave the building without finding me first. They might be a company, but the boss's son is the leader of his own gang. And it's not like me who's just the fake leader, he's the actual leader. We were able to crush them a while back, but if they're back, we better be cautious. They're pretty strong since they're well funded."

"I promise. But why would they go after me?" I asked.

"Years ago, I was targeted once because my father had some dispute with them. I'm not sure if that's what caused him to leave, but I do remember him walking me home from school for three weeks before I left. He said to watch out for people I didn't know. Basically, they play dirty. They organize it so well that they are never caught for their actions. But trust me, it's awfully serious." Natsu explained.

I nodded, and said, "Thanks Natsu. I know I'll be safe with you around. You still coming over today?"

"Yes, of course. If anything, I'm assuming they're going to jump you on your way home. I'll ride with you today. Thankfully I have some motion sickness patches in my locker." He explained.

"You have motion sickness?" I asked curiously. That was the first I heard of it. No wonder why we walked everywhere on our dates!

"Yeah, but I didn't want you to know and be creeped out by me because of it." Natsu explained. I wouldn't be creeped out! I mean that's pretty disgusting, but as long as he has the patches, he should be good, right?

"I'm not in the slightest. Yeah it's disgusting and all, but still. You shouldn't have been afraid to tell me!" I said reassuringly.

"Okay then. We'll meet up by your locker after school today, alright?" He suggested. I nodded, but then I became confused. But he had already turned to walk away after I nodded.

"How do you know where my locker is?" I asked. Sure he had visited it last Tuesday, but still, I wouldn't have imagined him to know where it was off the top of his head.

"I know the numbers of your freshman and sophomore year lockers too, you know!" He said, turning around so I could see his front. It was a little stalker-ish, but I thought it was sweet how he paid attention to that. I don't even remember the numbers of those lockers. Had he been waiting that long?

"That long, huh?" I wondered aloud. I had no idea he heard.

"Yes. That long." He said, smiling sweetly.

* * *

The next time I met up with him, it was lunch time, and I was sitting at the girls table plus Natsu. It was weird, because we always liked where we sat, yet we found it so easy to move over to where we are now. Nothing was special about the previous spot, likewise nothing was special about the current spot. It was just where Natsu was. And I wouldn't spend a day at lunch without sitting next to Natsu.

I sat down at the lunch table, second today. Usually it's that way, Natsu is here first, then me, and then everyone else. I don't know how he does it, but he always manages to beat me down to the cafeteria. I wouldn't be surprised if he ran. He likes to do that when we went on our dates.

By the time everyone was down there, Natsu and I had long since discussed everything. I'm so glad to have a boyfriend like him. I bet most others would run away from the danger instead of facing it with me.

"So, what's the latest?" Cana asked, being the last one down.

"Why don't you ask the two love-birds who have been yapping it up all morning." Erza said, pointing in my direction.

"We have not!" We said in sync.

"You think they planned that?" Cana asked.

"No!" We said again.

"Yup, they totally planned it." Cana said.

"We're just going over some...things." Natsu said.

"Like what? Baby names? Or baby hair color? What's the mixture of yellow and pink anyways?" Erza asked.

"As if!" Natsu said defensively. "You make me sound like this guy I know named Jellal. All he does is talk about how his kids are gonna have purple hair." I looked over to Erza, waiting for her response, but all I saw was a major blush. He was talking about kids, and particularly hair color. Purple is made by red and blue... and Erza has red. Was Natsu talking about Erza's kids?

"Ooooh, sounds like there's love in the air! Erza and this mystery guy Jellal." Cana teased.

"Shut it!" Erza said embarrassedly. "Natsu, how do you know Jellal?"

"Oh Jellal, he's one of my best buds from the gang." Natsu said.

"JELLAL? IN A GANG?" Erza said, shocked by Natsu's answer.

"Yep, he's been a member for almost two years now. He came in with a really bad past and he was pretty malicious. But we straightened him out, and now's he's pretty badass." Natsu said.

"Why didn't he tell me?" Erza asked angrily.

"Well, he's pretty quiet. He doesn't talk much, except about you and your future kids or something." Natsu said.

"W-what? H-he talks about our f-future k-kids?" Erza asked fully embarrassed.

"Yup. It's kinda lame, but it's better than when he used to talk about the number of windows he destroyed in a week. Seriously, nobody gave a shit." Natsu said.

I then asked the question that everyone wanted to know the answer to. "Erza, who is Jellal and what exactly is your relationship to him?"

That lunch, I found out all about the secret six month relationship between Erza and Jellal.

* * *

After school, I met up with Natsu outside of my locker. He, like always, was there before me. I grabbed his hand in mine and we walked out of school towards the parking lot. We got in my car, and I drove the two of us to my home. Every glance we gave each other, we were making sure the other person was safe. I learned how caring Natsu was in times of trouble. He really was a perfect boyfriend.

I parked in my garage, but didn't get out the car. There was someone right on the other side of the door, right as I turned the car off. His hair was black, and he looked kind of goth. Nervousness flew through me at the sight of it. Quickly, I glanced over to the right to see Natsu, but he wasn't there. Did someone take Natsu away? There's no way I can face these guys on my own! I hear a noise behind me and turn around back to where the guy was, but all I saw was a fist colliding with his face. A second later, some pink hair, and I knew it was Natsu who did that.

Natsu signaled for me to get out the car with a wave of his hand, and so I did. The black-haired guy stood up off the ground and prepared to fight. Natsu did the same. I silently cheered for Natsu, and he handed me his phone.

"Call up Gray Fullbuster. Tell 'em I said to get their asses over here." Natsu said.

"Fighting unfairly, are we? I don't think your gang versus me is very fair, is it?" The dark haired guy said.

"I didn't forget you Midnight. I know you have your whole gang here with you." Natsu said. The other guy must have been Midnight. I wasn't looking up anymore, instead at my phone.

"You know me too well. Unfortunately for you, we will succeed at taking down the Heartfilia Railroad Company." Midnight said cockily.

"You must not remember Dragon's Roar then. We both know who won two years ago, and who will win again." Natsu said.

"We didn't expect you to have any ties with the Heartfilia family two years ago. If we had known, you'd be six feet under right now." Midnight said. Wait, two years ago, when the Oración Seis gang was taken down, it was because they were targeting my family? So he saved me even though we weren't close? Has he been my guardian angel all this time?

"Yeah well you should plan for the worst. And you obviously didn't. Your own damn fault. It was the death of you then, and it will be the death of you now!" Natsu said, charging Midnight. My call had just gone through, and Gray picked up on the other line.

"Gray, get you and the rest of your gang over here, NOW!" I shouted.

"Oh jeez, what's up with you woman? Do you think I'd listen to you? And why the hell do you have Natsu's phone?" Gray questioned.

"This is Lucy, Natsu's girlfriend. The Oración Seis are at my house, and Natsu wants you all here right now. He's currently fighting someone named Midnight." I explained.

"Oración Seis?! Be right over!" Gray said, hanging up. I took a surveillance around, and saw that Natsu was still fighting Midnight. Nobody else had shown up, but Natsu looked like he was winning.

Natsu was hitting pretty hard. I could tell by the bruises and other marks left behind on Midnight that Natsu was definitely a good fighter. Though Natsu wasn't in perfect condition either. He must have taken several hits from Midnight. I watched Midnight charge at Natsu, aim to punch him in the gut, but miss because Natsu jumped back in time. Natsu went in to punch him in the face, but Midnight ducked. Midnight landed a punch in Natsu's stomach on his second attempt, causing Natsu to stumble back a bit. Natsu's face was etched with rage, and as he looked up again, I saw the murderous intention in his eyes.

Natsu ran towards Midnight. Midnight went to throw a punch at Natsu, but Natsu intercepted it by grabbing Midnight's lower arm. He took that arm and pushed it down while he kneed Midnight in the stomach. Midnight suffered from some pain, but as he fell, he swung his legs to knock Natsu down. He was successful, and Natsu hit the pavement. They both quickly got up, and Natsu hit Midnight on the side of the face. Midnight threw a punch immediately after, but Natsu dodged it by ducking. Midnight swung his other fist at Natsu's head, which was destined to hit Natsu. Natsu managed to stand up a bit and the punch didn't hit him in the face. I saw Natsu charge at Midnight again.

I watched as he punched Midnight in the face again. Midnight stood up, and went to attack Natsu again. But Natsu saw through it, adjusted his position and grabbed the knife that was around Midnight's belt. He held it at Midnight's neck. Natsu shouted, "Oración Seis, reveal yourselves, or your leader is dead!"

Suddenly, five other figures appeared out of nowhere. They started to encircle us, and I made sure to keep distance. I knew they were after me, but they couldn't get to me right now. Not with their leader stuck in this current position.

"Listen up, and listen well. You dare lay a finger on Lucy and your little leader here dies. Understood? I don't want you within twenty feet of her!" Natsu spat angrily.

Just then, two cars full of boys my age pulled into the driveway. Out came Gray, Loke, Sting, Rogue, Jellal, and Gajeel. They were all people I recognized from school, and they were all part of the most dangerous gang around. I heard a sound of pain and turned around to see Midnight running back to his side, while Natsu grabbed his foot in pain. I ran up to him to protect him, but there was another problem.

"Gang versus Gang, huh? A rematch of two years ago? I like the sound of that." Gajeel said.

"Another victory for the Dragon's Roar Gang sounds great to me." Sting said.

"Let's show them the fury of the Dragon!" Rogue said.

It was truly gang versus gang. Everyone from Oración Seis managed to find someone from Dragon's Roar to fight against. Thankfully there were seven in Dragon's Roar, because otherwise Natsu would be fighting someone right now too.

"Fight while you can, my father's making his deal right now. And as soon as it's through, we're out. Heartfilia Railroad will become a part of the Oración Seis!" Midnight shouted. I looked shocked, and to Natsu for an answer. He shared a shocked expression.

"Looks like that's our job, Lucy. Come on, let's go save your parents." He said. I was honestly surprised he was going to save my parents. I mean, protecting me I could understand. But not protecting the people who tried to keep him away from me. That takes a lot to do. I almost thought he might've smiled at what Midnight said.

"Saving your family is a little déjà vu, isn't it?" He said to me.

"I've been meaning to ask you why you did that for me. I was off with some other guy, yet you protected me better than he ever did." I asked curiously.

"Because I knew he wasn't right for you. And I wouldn't be able to date you if you didn't live here. If the Oración Seis's surprise attack worked two years ago, you probably wouldn't be as wealthy as you are right now." He said.

"Well, I really owe you a lot Natsu." I said.

"Nah it's fine. You're my girlfriend, so there's nothing else I could ever want." He said sweetly.

"So Natsu, what's your plan?" I asked curiously.

"It's going to be rather simple. Actually only a two part plan, that mainly involves killing time. We have the Oración Seis gang where we want them, so we should be good right now."

We entered the house through the garage, and I led Natsu to my father's study. I could here an unfamiliar voice behind those closed doors, and I didn't like it. That voice didn't know, but things were just about to get interesting.


	12. Chapter 12: Zero Fights

**Well last chapter was a bunch of milestones. Really two actually. I broke 100 followers, which although might not seem like a lot to some of you, is huge to me! It's really awesome to know that 100 people are interested enough to come back and read it again. Also, last chapter I published my 100,000th word! Crazy huh, finally reached it? Imagine what it'll be like if I hit 1 million words? **

**Also, ignore the fact that logically, Sting and Rogue should be seven years younger than everyone else. I know lots of people put them in stories and forget to point that out, but it's true. Sting and Rogue should be even younger than Wendy.**

**I'm sorry to report, but this may be the third or second to last chapter. Don't fret though, I have another coming out very soon!**

**Thanks to Rose Tiger, Ice and Thunder, and the two guests for reviewing.**

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I wasn't exactly sure if Natsu's plan was a good one. He had a simple strategy, which I didn't really understand, but he was confident. He certainly placed a lot of trust in his gang members to destroy the other guys. I knew those kids were strong, they were, after all, stars on respective sports teams. Gray was the captain of the ice hockey team, Gajeel was the captain of football, Sting and Rogue were the best players on their basketball team, Jellal was the captain of baseball, and Loke, well, Loke was just strong. Like Loke, Natsu was really strong, stronger than the rest.

But if Natsu didn't trust himself to be able to take down the guy inside, he must have been pretty strong. I mean, Natsu is stronger than every single one of the best athletes from our school, so the guy inside must have been extremely powerful. If so, why was he the head of the company? I didn't get anything about this really, but I didn't really need to. I was just hoping that Natsu would be safe throughout all of this.

When I say the plan was simple, it was beyond simple. It was a two part plan that I happened to not be involved in. I felt guilty, after all, these guys are fighting for my parents' company. The first part was the scary part. Natsu was going to kill enough time for the guys outside to take down the Oración Seis Gang. He was going to create a distraction, which I assume would be violent, and keep any business related transactions from occurring. The second part involved the gang coming inside and backing up Natsu. If the whole gang was there, there was no way they could lose. But that's the only problem, what if the whole gang doesn't make it?

I'm really nervous about it. Natsu's gang sure is tough, but those Oración Seis members didn't look like they were joking around. They looked like they could challenge the Dragon's Roar Gang pretty well, and I'm sure they could. Whether or not they could win, was only for time to tell. Until then, I'd be sitting in here, waiting for an answer.

Natsu signaled for me to follow. I was a little confused about what he wanted, because he did just say I wasn't involved. When I got up close to him, he whispered into my ear.

"Lucy, come on, I need you to come get your parents out of this room. I'm more than confident that this place won't be left unscathed." He said.

I nodded, and asked, "Where should I take them?"

"Anywhere but here. Just make sure they're not in the way of me fighting." He said.

"Alright then Natsu. Please stay safe. I know you want me to be happy, but I won't be if you're all beaten up and injured. So please, don't get too hurt." I said.

"I won't let you down Lucy." Natsu answered, before he turned towards the door. He held up three fingers and counted down.

3... He breathed in heavily.

2... He exhaled and sighed.

1... He put on an angry face and began to raise his leg.

Natsu kicked down the door, and charged into the room. My parents, who were extremely surprised by the loud noise didn't have time to react when Natsu suddenly charged at the man I didn't recognized.

"Zero! You may have been the reason my father left me, but I will not allow you to be the reason that this family suffers!" Natsu screamed. He was running really fast. He charged right at Zero. Right before he made contact, he slightly jumped and balled his fist, pulling it back quickly and sending it forward into Zero's face. Zero stumbled back a bit but groaned in anger. He looked back up to Natsu, who was in battle stance, ready to fight. He grinned cockily and began to taunt Natsu.

"Boy, can't you see you're interfering with my business meeting?" Zero said.

"Yeah, well your little kiddies interrupted my ride home outside, so I feel this is a just punishment." Natsu said, causing Zero to look a little shocked before regaining his cocky smile.

"You know they weren't after you in the first place. I don't see why you should concern yourself with them." Zero said.

"They were after my girlfriend though. And the only thing worse than attacking me is attacking someone that I'm close to." Natsu said angrily.

"Is that so? But tell me, where did you come up with this marvelous idea? My "kiddies" happen to be extremely strong." Zero said.

"Oh and I'm aware. I know much about the Oración Seis Gang. Trust me, there's a whole lot more going outside than you think." Natsu said.

"And what's that?" Zero asked.

"Can't you hear it? The sound of a Dragon Roaring? The one and only gang who whooped your son's gang's ass two years ago? Certainly you haven't forgotten." Natsu said smirking. Zero went from looking cocky to angry.

"I know who you are, Natsu Dragneel. You're the one who stopped us two years ago. This would have been a successful operation back then if you didn't cheat us out of it!" Zero said angrily.

"I'm more than aware you targeted me when I was younger, so I know what kind of show you're running at your company. You blackmail your clients with threats of loved ones. The only reason why you get away with it is because you have close relations to high up government officials!" Natsu said angrily.

"You know nothing!" Zero shouted.

"I know enough to know that you're an asshole and probably responsible for my father leaving!" Natsu screamed.

"Says you. I'm going to politely ask you to leave." Zero said.

"There's no reason for him to leave!" My father said angrily.

"He's interrupting our business meeting." Zero said.

"This meeting is over! You just came over here to threaten my family if I didn't give you what you wanted!" My dad said angrily.

"And I plan on getting what I wanted in the first place." Zero said.

"You're not going to get anything from me or my family!" My dad shouted.

Zero started walking towards my father, and I was a little nervous what was about to happen. Weren't these meetings supposed to be cool and collected? This one obviously wasn't. I saw Zero approaching my father. I tensed up a little. Right he approached my dad, I felt Natsu slip something into my pocket. It was pretty light and small, and when my hand went over it, I could feel the screen of a phone. I pulled the phone out and saw the video recorder on. I sat down in my dad's chair, because he had just stood up to tell Zero to leave.

"You listen, and listen well, Jude Heartfilia, I will not stop until I get what I want. I can send a hitman whenever I need to dispatch you or one of your precious family members. Understand that I mean business, and I will not stop until I get what I want." Zero said angrily.

Before my father could react, I saw Natsu punch Zero straight across the face.

"Like hell I'd let you do something like that to them!" He said angrily. "You can't just go threatening lives because you want money or business. There are several people in this world who started up a business legitimately, and they're truly happy. But you, you've cheated your whole life to get your way to the top! And while the others may have been docile, you can count on us not to be!"

Zero looked angrily at Natsu and went to attack him back. I didn't think Zero would do something like that because he's much older, but since his son's gang is preoccupied, he probably doesn't have any other choice.

"You should know that nobody easily submitted to me. I had to threaten each and everyone of them. Their children were captured by my son's gang and held until the parents agreed. Until you came in two years and stopped our plans at this exact house. My company would have been much larger had you not interfered. And I wouldn't have been having this problem." Zero said to Natsu, approaching slowly.

Zero punched Natsu on his left shoulder. Natsu took a few steps back to absorb the punch and made an enraged face. He recovered quickly and went to punch Zero in the face, but Zero intercepted his punch and struck Natsu across the face. Again, Natsu stumbled back a bit, after taking two strong attacks. He still looked determined as ever, and he charged back towards Zero.

He kicked Zero in the shin, and punched Zero with his right arm. Natsu attempted to punch Zero in the stomach, but wasn't able to before Zero punched Natsu's extended arm down. Natsu used his other arm and swung up to hit Zero across the face. He smiled a little at the sight of Zero stumbling back in pain, but was immediately back to an angry glare once Zero advanced forward.

Zero was moving very fast now, and he punched Natsu right in his chest. The force caused Natsu to hit the ground because the impact was so great. Zero lifted his foot quickly to step down on Natsu's stomach, but Natsu reacted quickly and rolled over towards his right. He stopped rolling and tried to get up. He put his hands on the ground to push himself upwards, but Zero stomped down on his left hand. Natsu leaned back in pain, and Zero used the opportunity to kick him in the chest while Natsu was still on his knees.

Natsu was now on the ground again, and too close to Zero to roll away. Zero went to thrust his foot into Natsu's chest, and Natsu put his two hands on the bottom of Zero's boot to stop the impact. Zero smirked at this and began to increase the pressure he was putting down on his foot. Natsu's resistance was slowly weakening and it looked as if he was totally lost.

I looked down at Natsu, and strangely saw that smirk he had given me before. I recognized that he had a plan. And I was right. Natsu began to push Zero's boot slightly to the right. Zero didn't prepare for this change in force and his foot ended up going to the right. Since his foot was no longer over Natsu's, Natsu was able to remove one hand from the boot. He quickly reached over to the knife on the ground nearby, which he must have dropped on the ground on his way in, and ran it along Zero's leg that was on the ground. The sudden pain caused Zero to fall over, and Natsu was given a chance to get up.

As Zero stood up, Natsu quickly approached him from behind. He put the knife in front of Zero's neck and said, "Game over Zero. One slip and you're dead. I suggest you don't attempt anything."

Zero, ignoring the warning, leaned his head forward a little and then slammed it back against Natsu's. Natsu fell backward a bit, and he looked as if he lost his awareness. The knife in Natsu's hand fell down and Zero had picked it up.

"You know, I've never actually killed one of the people I threatened. Why not make you the first?" Zero said cockily.

He approached Natsu and went to jab him in the side of the torso, but luckily Natsu had since moved. Natsu moved some more, dodging the stab attempts from Zero.

"All of these years, all of these families that I brutalized, yet not a single one was as resistant as this one. You saved them for some reason two years ago, and again you're back to try to stop me. You've ruined my progress for two years, and I'll be damned if you dare do it again!" Zero said angrily.

"All I did was try to protect the people I care about. And if that means fighting you, I'm willing to do so." Natsu said.

"Then you will die doing so. Can you clearly see who has the knife?" Zero said enraged.

Zero lunged again, aiming to hit Natsu right in the chest. Natsu leaned back, and Zero kicked his right ankle, causing Natsu to fall over. Natsu scrambled backwards, trying to avoid the oncoming knife that was about to attack him. Once it attacked where Natsu's arm was, and Natsu had to move it away to prevent it from being stabbed. He fell down on his back, and lay there helpless.

"You understand now why people have never dared mess with me? Because they know they won't come out alive. A pity that you didn't know that." Zero laughed angrily.

"You know what's interesting about the neck?" Zero said, pointing the knife towards Natsu's neck. The proximity of his neck and the knife scared me to the point where I couldn't move. I had to do something, Natsu was going to die! But he's in the opposite corner of the room as me, and there's no way I could get there in time! We need some sort of distraction.

"There's a painless way to kill someone at their neck, and an extremely painful one. Do you want to guess which one I'm going to use on you?" Zero said, laughing at his own cruelty. "I have a great idea. Why don't you watch your girlfriend cry as you die. Wouldn't that be fun? You died trying to protect her family, but it was all in vain!" He turned his head and faced me, and said, "Hey Blondie, get over here!"

I was scared to walk forward or stay where I was. He'd certainly kill Natsu sooner if I didn't walk forward, but if I did, he could probably attack me. I wasn't exactly sure what to do, so I ended up slowly walking towards him. I didn't make it a step when I saw Zero fall to the side and a male voice that I really hated call out. I hadn't heard it in a while, and even though I hated the owner, the voice provided some relief.

"You call for me?" Sting said. He had just punched Zero down onto the ground and the rest of Natsu's gang came and held Zero down. Natsu got up, feeling some pain but overall pretty good.

"Thanks guys. Wouldn't have made it outta that one if it weren't for you." He said.

"S'alright Natsu. Consider us even for last time." Sting said.

I sighed a breath of relief as the rest of Natsu's gang came in and held down Zero. He looked so powerless against those six guys, but it made sense because the strongest gang wasn't made up of weaklings. They literally beat the life out of the guy until he was unconscious. Natsu, meanwhile, had gotten up and walked over to me. He looked in pain and I hoped nothing was broken.

"Sorry you had to see that Lucy." Natsu said.

I quickly hugged him, and felt guilty because it was probably hurting him. "Natsu please don't ever do that again, I was afraid you were going to die. Natsu don't ever do that again. Never, ever please Natsu don't." I whispered into his chest, mumbling incoherent words. I held him close and felt one of his hands run through my hair.

"Shhh, Lucy. It's okay, your home is safe now. You're safe, I'm safe, your parents are safe, and I'm sure that nobody else will bother us again. And I won't ever go through that again, because it's all okay." He whispered back.

"Natsu." I whispered into his chest, clinging to him tightly. I stayed there for a while. I rested in his hold around me, and he didn't move either.

My parents called the police and had Midnight's Gang taken away, along with Zero. The video I took of Zero had provided as some concrete evidence to have Zero arrested. They told us that they had been waiting years for a reportable case to come up because they knew what happened to Igneel, the last person from this town who was attacked by Zero's company. Either way, they were more than happy to finally have some evidence to convict Zero, and thankfully, did not try to arrest on anyone from Dragon's Roar. Of course, they had no idea it was Dragon's Roar. To them, it was a bunch of teenagers who helped out.

The Oración Seis Gang was released without much punishment. I would have been upset but they did actually end up apologizing to my parents and swore never to come near us again. I didn't worry too much about them, because they looked to be telling the truth.

After the long afternoon at the police station, my parents drove Natsu and me home. I asked if Natsu could spend the night, and he said he would if it was okay with my parents. Before I voiced the question, they said yes. Natsu and I looked at each other and smiled. Natsu asked if we could pick up his sister Wendy because he doesn't want to leave her at home overnight. Without any signs of annoyance, my parents picked up Wendy and we went home.

I remember how I used to complain about having so many rooms, but now, I like the space. It's really convenient to have space for extra rooms for this occasion. I was tired today, and my parents had told me they would hire people to fix anything wrong with my father's study. I nodded and headed towards my room. My parents were going to keep me home from school tomorrow, which was kind of annoying because I wouldn't get to see Natsu at lunch.

Natsu and Wendy were both given a room, but Natsu snuck into mine almost immediately. I would be lying if I said that I was annoyed that he came in so quickly. I really wanted him here, next to me so that I could hold him close.

I laid down in bed, and a few minutes later, I heard Natsu do the same. He turned off the light in the room and whispered a good night.

"Natsu, thanks for everything." I whispered.

"Huh, what'd I do?" He asked confused. I giggled a little, before answering him.

"You saved my family and my father's lifelong endeavor. He's been running this business since he was 21. And I would have been captured if it weren't for you." I said sweetly.

"It was nothing, Lucy. I just protected you like a boyfriend should." He whispered back.

"Yeah, from perverts. Not from entire gangs and corrupt business leaders." I whispered to him.

"Lucy, I love you more than I can describe. You don't need to thank me, because you do, every time I wake up and know that you care about me. That you feel the same. That you want me to be yours. That's all the thanks I need to do what I do for you." He said to me.

"Natsu I wasn't lying, when I said I'd always be there for you." I whispered.

"And I wasn't lying either. And so I will be, forever. You can always count on me." He said, smiling brightly at me.

"Always..." I whispered, while embracing him in my arms. He did the same, and we fell asleep that way.


	13. Chapter 13: Moving Day

**Sorry to say, last chapter. I'd like to thank you for reading this story. Seriously, you all blew me away with those nice comments in every single review, and I couldn't imagine finishing this story without the amazing support you gave me. I can't wait to see you in the next story, which by the way is NaLu and should be up tomorrow. When I first wrote this story, I didn't expect half the support I got on it. Thank you everyone.**

**When I wrote this story, I wanted to put a joke on the "good girl falling for the delinquent." That's what I wrote, and I hope you liked it. Whatever got you to stick around for the whole story, it makes me feel happy that you would do so. I've learned a lot by writing this, and I'm going to influence it greatly on my next story. I hope that you'll check back Friday evening for the first chapter of my next story!**

**Thanks Rose Tiger, Disney lovers 101, Ice and Thunder, Candy5554, the guest, and Et Bellator for reviewing!**

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Natsu and I fell asleep in each other's presence. When I woke up, I saw him peacefully sleeping. It looked really cute, and I really didn't want to disturb him in his sleep. Instead of getting up, I waited in bed, just staring at his sleeping face. I smiled softly at the sight. I moved a little closer to him and fell asleep once more.

The next time I woke up was when Wendy was roaming the halls. She must have been looking for Natsu, because she stopped once she got inside of my room. I looked at her, and she looked at me, and she whispered something.

"Lucy, is Natsu up? He's usually up by now." Wendy said.

"Really? What time is it?" I asked.

"9:30." Wendy said while yawning. "Yeah, he looks pretty tired though." She added.

"I guess. I should probably get up though. We're going to school tomorrow anyways, so we shouldn't screw up our sleep schedules." I said to Wendy.

"Yeah, well I'll wake Natsu up. He's usually pretty good about it, but sometimes he's having an amazing dream and gets a little upset when you wake him up." Wendy explained. Yeah, I'd probably feel the same way. Being woken up in the middle of a big dream is like stopping a story halfway through it.

Wendy gently nudged Natsu and Natsu didn't show any signs of waking. She pushed him a little harder and still nothing happened. Finally, when she whispered in his ear, she got a response.

"Shh... Go away, I'm playing with Lucy~." He mumbled in his sleep. Aside from making me blush, Wendy giggled.

"Well, lover-boy if you wake up you can play with her in real life." Wendy said, leaning over the sleeping Natsu.

Natsu woke up and saw Wendy and I staring right at him. He looked a little confused.

"So Natsu, how was that dream?" I asked.

"Uhh..umm...great!" He said, with a slightly reddening face.

"Whatcha dream about Natsu?" Wendy asked.

"Oh...nothing much really." He said, looking down, face still reddening.

"Really now?" She asked.

"Yeah, nothing at all. Why would you think that?" He said.

"Oh no reason..." Wendy said before giggling. "Go away, I'm playing with Lucy~." She mimicked Natsu's voice and his sleepiness.

"Hey!" He said. "Don't spy on my dreams! That's private stuff!"

"Yeah, yeah, lover-boy. Come on let's go get some breakfast." I said, offering my hand out to Natsu, who was currently sitting up in bed. He took it, and the three of us walked downstairs to go get some breakfast. After we ate, Wendy said she'd go back to her room for a bit and get changed, so Natsu and I walked over to my father's study to assess the damage. What we saw wasn't too terribly bad. My father was in there and he was cleaning the place up after yesterday. Natsu told me he'd help my dad, which shocked me even more, and he went to work helping my father clean up his study.

I began to walk idly around my house. It was certainly a large house, that's for sure. We probably could have housed another three kids here, but my parents stopped after me. I'm not entirely sure why, but whatever the reason, I'm the only one here. The place felt more at home with Natsu being here, and I began to think about what life might be like if he did actually live here.

To be perfectly honest, life would be amazing if Natsu lived here. It wouldn't be difficult financially since my parents are rich enough to afford a dozen kids. They could afford his college easily, and expenses wouldn't be too hard on him. Plus, I'd get to be around him a whole lot more, and I wouldn't have to worry about him and Wendy getting by on their own.

Maybe I could convince them to let Natsu live here. That would be perfect! He wouldn't have to do all of the crazy stuff he already does and he'd probably be able to go to college himself! He and I could spend so much more time together, and that would definitely make up for all of the bad things I did to him earlier on! I should probably present this idea to my mother because she'd be easier to convince. Of course, she was slower to agree to Natsu being my boyfriend than I would have hoped. Maybe she'll be quicker about this.

I went around the house, looking for her. I couldn't seem to find her anywhere, and I thought that maybe she went out. But in the last place I looked, I found her sitting in my room. Did she want to talk to me? No, that couldn't be it, because what was there to talk about? Not much happened regarding me specifically, so I don't know why she'd be in my room.

"Hey mom." I said, greeting her.

"Hey Lucy. Come sit down." She said, gesturing to the spot she left next to me in bed.

"Okay. Is something wrong, mom?" I asked.

"Oh nothing. It's more about Natsu." I tensed up when I heard his name. "Don't worry, your father doesn't hate him anymore. Much the opposite, in fact. We hadn't know he'd protected our company twice." She said.

"So what did you want me to ask?" I said.

"Well, I don't know if you'd want this right away, because you only did just start dating a week ago or so." She said, unaware that it had only really been five days.

"And?" I pressed her further. Whatever she tells me, I hope it doesn't conflict with my idea of Natsu moving in.

"Well, we'd like you to ask Natsu to move in with us. You told us how he works for his own living and doesn't have the ability to go to college? Your father and I think that we should make it up to Natsu by inviting him to our house. We have so many extra rooms, so we wouldn't mind him. Plus, he could be able to go to college as well. I know you might be opposed it, but I hope you ask him. He's a sweet kid, and I don't think we'd mind him and Wendy moving in." She said.

"Of course I want him to move in mom! I've been looking for you all day to ask that! I really wanted him to live here! And Wendy too, she deserves some parental love. Not that Natsu isn't good... It's just that, well, Natsu isn't always able to be around for her. I'll definitely ask him to move in as soon as I can!" I said happily. I'm so excited for Natsu to move in! And my parents actually suggested it without me asking! I have to go find Natsu and ask him to move in!

I ran as fast as I could from my room to my father's study. It was across the house, but I got there extremely fast. I went to head in and I heard the two talking. Whatever it was, it was friendly conversation and it made me smile. So even my father had changed, and grown to like Natsu. That's a relief to hear. I think those two could find themselves having a lot in common, especially since they've both run businesses.

I knocked on the door, and my father told me to come in. He smiled and said it wasn't necessary to ask permission to enter unless he had a meeting, to which I nodded and smiled. I looked over to Natsu, and asked him to come out to see me in the hallway.

"Hey Natsu, I have a really big question for you. I'm not entirely sure how you'll react to this, but here goes..." I began. He looks confused, but I pressed on. "Natsu, will you move in with us? We'd love to have you and Wendy here, and it would relieve you of a lot of your parental duties. I know you're just a brother to Wendy, but you often act like a father to her. So we thought we'd give you a break, and plus since you've done so much for me and my family, we thought it'd only be reasonable to ask you to move in with us. So please, Natsu, move in with us?"

"Of course! You had me at the first question Lucy! I'd love to move in as long as it's not a bother to anyone here. Think about how awesome it'd be! The two of us would be able to spend so much time together, and it'd be a lot of fun! We could have late night movie nights, and you could read me some of those books you told me about. I can't wait for this Lucy!" He said, sounding so excited. I smiled at the thought.

"Well, would you like for me to help you move your stuff? I can load the back of my car with all of the essentials, like clothes and stuff. Do you want to sell your old house?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah sure, I think it'd be good to sell it. And much of the furniture too. I never really liked it, but I didn't have the money to replace it." He said. I nodded knowingly and continued on my topic.

"Alright, so Natsu, let's go get some of your stuff?" I asked. He nodded, and we grabbed Wendy and drove to Natsu's house. They packed a whole bunch of their stuff and brought it in the back of my car. We drove it back to my house and Natsu and Wendy unloaded their stuff into each of their rooms. When I went to grab a box of Natsu's stuff, he told me to grab Wendy's instead, because she would probably have a harder time. I smiled at his thoughtfulness and did what he said.

A few hours later, we were done unloading and Natsu and Wendy had their own rooms. I told my parents about Natsu's decision and they were both really happy. They said that they would worry about the rest of the furniture that Natsu and Wendy didn't want. I thanked them with a big hug and ran to find Natsu. He was downstairs in the family room and when saw me, invited me to sit next to him on the couch.

We sat like that, for a little while, watching TV before it was time for dinner. We got up and went to eat, and I made sure to sit next to Natsu. I didn't really talk with him however, because Natsu was talking about his ice cream business to my dad. I figured that dad had just found his heir to the company in Natsu. To be perfectly honest, Natsu was a great fit, and I'd be glad because then my parents' company would definitely have a good leader.

After dinner, I went back to my room and Natsu followed me. We talked and talked, mostly about moving in and how excited he was. I smiled the whole way through, thinking of all the fun times he was describing. And in that moment, I realized that I had indeed made it up to Natsu for all of the bad things I'd done. I had given him a home and a family.

I moved to my bed and began to lay down. Natsu and I continued to talk, but I started to feel a little sleepy. I didn't want to be rude and fall asleep on him, but I could barely keep my eyes open. I fought through it for Natsu, until sleep finally overpowered me. I just hope he's not mad in the morning.

Much to my happiness, he wasn't mad at me when I woke up. In fact, he smiled brightly at me. I realized that once again, he wasn't in his room. I'm beginning to question if he really moved in to the other room or mine. Who knows, maybe I'll have some of his stuff in here in a couple of weeks. I didn't stop to look around for the things he could or couldn't have left in my room because he had grabbed my hand and led me out of my room. He gently woke up Wendy while I was waiting in the hallway, and the three of us walked downstairs to eat breakfast.

Wendy told us not to drop her off in front of her school because Romeo was waiting for her in front of ours. I thought it was sweet of her friend to want to still walk her to school, so I complied, and we drove to my school. We parked, and made sure that Wendy was able to find her friend. Once she did, the two of us walked inside together, hand-in-hand.

I never actually knew if people were going to start warming up to Natsu. Honestly, I didn't really care, because he was mine, and that's what I really cared about. At lunch, I announced that Natsu was moving in with me, and they ended up teasing me about moving too fast. I laughed it off and defended myself, but secretly, I really wanted him to move in. More than anything, because I wanted to make up to him all of the bad things I'd done. And I finally did.

When we arrived at home, they told me about Natsu's home. They said they'd sell it and the furniture while giving Natsu all the money. Natsu refused it saying that it's a thank you for allowing him to live with us. I thought it was sweet, and in the end, my parents reluctantly agreed.

I realized now, that things were beginning to work out in my favor. Sure, I had always had money when I needed it, or loving parents when I was sad, but what I've recently gotten was the greatest thing I could ask for. I have the most amazing boyfriend, who my parents have accepted, that lives with me. He stuck around for me while I was off with other guys. While I was making bad decisions, Natsu was waiting. He was waiting for me. And I finally came around and answered his call, and my life couldn't be better.

I seriously couldn't imagine my life without this pink-haired entrepreneurial delinquent, and I don't want to. He stepped into my life so quickly, and so powerfully, forever altering my life for the better. He slept in my bed again that night, and I held him close, squeezing him in a tight hug. I could see the smile he held as a result of my action, and I smiled too. I would never let Natsu go. Never.

* * *

When I woke up, I felt oddly cold. I opened my eyes and saw that there was a missing Natsu. Did he go back to his room? Probably not because Natsu likes my room so much. I smelled something good as I walked over towards Natsu's room. The bed was still made and there were no signs of him being in there. So where exactly could he have been? I walked towards Wendy's room and saw her sleeping softly. I must have woken her up, because a second or two later, she sat up and was awake.

"Hey Lucy. G'Morning." Wendy said sleepily.

"Hi Wendy, how you doing?" I asked.

"Sleepy." She said.

"Alright, well wanna look for Natsu with me?" I asked.

"Umm... Nah. He's probably just making breakfast or something." She said.

"Really? But he hasn't the past two days." I noted.

"Yeah, but he keeps eyeing the kitchen every time we pass by it or someone cooks. I'm sure he's learning how you store your stuff, you know?" Wendy said.

"Natsu cooking breakfast here? No way! Come with me, I'll show you that he isn't!" I challenge her.

"Well, if you're in the mood to lose..." Wendy said, getting up and walking towards me.

We walked down the stairs and I could smell something sweet. I saw Wendy give me the _I-told-you-so_ look and I inwardly denied it. Maybe my parents are making the breakfast. Anyone can, really. But when I zoned back into my surroundings, sure enough, there was Natsu, behind the kitchen making food.

"Well looks who's up early this morning." Natsu said to us.

"Yeah, says the guy who woke up to make breakfast." Wendy commented back lazily.

"Yeah well, whatever. Anyways, it's Friday today, so I'm totally free to do anything we want." Natsu said.

"Hmm... Might have to take you up on that offer." I said, winking at Natsu.

"I can arrange that." He said back, smiling to me.

I sat there and lazily watched him make pancakes. He's pretty damn good at making them! I mean, my parents don't even know how to make pancakes! And Natsu is a total pro! Wow, if he made pancakes everyday than it'd probably be my new favorite food.

"Natsu, no spicy foods. Lucy is here and I don't think she likes spicy." Wendy said seriously.

"Fine lil' sis. Whatever floats your boat." He said, leaning over to ruffle Wendy's hair. Wendy scowled in irritation. I giggled a bit. A minute later, Natsu had the food ready and each gave us some pancakes. Wendy's eyes lit up and she became her usual energized self again. I guess breakfast is really a necessary part of her life, or else she won't be so happy-go-lucky as she usually is.

"Wow Natsu, these are some of your best pancakes ever!" Wendy said happily.

"Yeah, she's right. These are amazing!" I said, complimenting Natsu's cooking.

Natsu rested his arms over my shoulders and put his head on top of mine and I could feel him smile brightly. "I do my best for you, Lucy." He said simply.

"As do I." I whisper back. I glance a little to my left, and see my parents, standing in their sleeping clothes still, and they look at each other before looking back to me and smiling. It was that moment when I knew that my life was working itself out. And it was all thanks to Natsu.

It had only been 12 days, yet there were so many more days to come. I thought about Natsu, his old nickname Salamander, he and I on our dates, and many of the other things we did together. And at the end of the day, it comforted me to think one thing:

_He was the roaring dragon that added the spice to my life. It was the spice of eternal love, the spice that we would come to share for the rest of time._

**THE END**


End file.
